


The Rose and the Thorne

by AmethystStarr



Series: Kingdom's Keys: A Collection of Re-imagined Fairytales [1]
Category: Beauty and the Beast - Fandom, British actor - Fandom, Fairytale Retelling - Fandom, Holliday Grainger - Fandom, Richard Armitage - Fandom
Genre: Based on Richard Armitage, F/M, Fairy Tale Retellings, Magic, Period Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-11 20:20:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 40,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5640580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmethystStarr/pseuds/AmethystStarr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Rose and the Thorne is a retelling of the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast. In this version, there's a bit more magic, some lovely romance, and a great battle in the end. I hope you all enjoy it!</p><p>Rated E for future incidents.</p><p> </p><p>If you want to imagine what Adrian looks like, think Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisborne (Robin Hood BBC) meets Ron Perlman's Vincent (Beauty and the Beast). And Rose is pretty much an older version of a cross between Holliday Grainger & Dove Cameron.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Once Upon A Time

Prologue  
A man, curse to wear the face of his crimes, a young woman, enchanted from birth; these two thrown together by a war of good versus evil. Can true love overcome enchantments and end a war that has been waged for a hundred years? Only time will tell...

 

Chapter 1  
~Once Upon A Time~

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful young woman named RoséBelle. She was blessed with a heart full of compassion, a talent for the arts, and an enchantment unlike any other. She was the daughter of an enchantress and therefore endowed at birth with special powers. It was prophesied that she would be the key to ending the war that has ravaged the lands of Arturia and BlackHeathe, and the whole of the Land of Astoria, for hundreds of years. However, if she is to give up herself to love a man, she must give up her life as well. But little does anyone know what magic True Love can overcome. In order that she might live when her mother died, she was given to Melodie Castlebarre, Crown Princess of Arturia, who lives at the edge of the Black Forest called Englewood, as her mother died at the feet of the princess. Melodie ordered a monument be erected in the family cemetery so that the enchantress might be remembered. RoséBelle grew in grace and beauty and became beloved by everyone who knew her, except perhaps by her sisters who were fiercely jealous of her beauty and powers...  
As she sat in the parlor reading, RoséBelle became bored with her sisters as they went through the tonnage of fabric their father had brought back from the far east. They were concerned with nothing but themselves and she was sick of it. She rose to leave the parlor, the central hub of the household.  
“And just where do you think you're going?” said the eldest Felicitie.  
“Riding, that's where,” Rose said over her shoulder, not bothering to look back. She kissed her mother's cheek and pranced out of the parlor.  
“Ungrateful wretch. Her father brings her things from the east and she's nonplussed to even look at them,” Michelle added.  
“She is grateful in her own way. Her father brought her that horse per her request and that's enough for her,” Melodie tutted, not looking up from her embroidery. She knew her youngest daughter well. Despite her vast difference to her other children and the fact she wasn't of her own blood, she loved RoséBelle the most because she was like half of herself and half of her husband put together. Felicitie and Michelle huffed and went back to examining the fabrics and making their orders for the dressmakers. Neither of the girls liked their youngest sister much, not because she was adopted, but because she was so very different from them. Not only was she the most beautiful, but her character was completely their opposite. She never met a stranger, she held compassion for everyone and never thought of things for herself, but for others. And then of course were her powers. She had an enchanted voice that could calm anyone and everything. Animals loved her, the servants loved her, even strangers loved her; and for that her sisters could barely stand her. Now Rose's twin brothers were the complete opposites of their sisters. They had been raised by their father to have compassion for all and enmity for none. They doted on their little sister and protected her fiercely. Jean-Rene worked with their father in the merchant trade, while Henrie trained in the King's guard. They were home whenever they could be to spend time with RoséBelle and their father. The four of them were inseparable and it was quite a sight for the servants to see four grown men doting over Rose. They often smiled to themselves and chuckled at how silly the men looked hoisting Rose up on their shoulders and playing chicken. Rose's father Jeffrey was in his study with his good friend John Hart and couldn't be coaxed out, so Rose had come out to the stable yard to find Jean-Rene and Henrie locked in a battle for champion of the bulls-eye.  
“Hold!” Rose cried as she ran across the grass between her brothers and their targets.  
“Rose! For heaven's sake, we could have shot you, little rabbit!” Henrie admonished, dropping his bow.  
“Well, I wasn't going to wait for you to be finished! I want to ride my new horse, silly man!” Rose laughed heading into the stables. The brothers ran after her.  
“Would you like us to ride with you?” Jean-Rene asked. Taking the pretty gold saddle from her and lifting it onto the champagne mare's back.  
“Not today. I think I want to be alone. It's a beautiful day and I want to listen to nature instead of your incessant prating on. Besides, I'm twenty-four now. I think I can ride on my own,” she said, taking the tack from her brother. She let it float from her hand and attach itself to the horse on it's own. She never tired of teasing her brothers with her powers.  
“Come on Jean, I can see we're not wanted here!” Henrie said, rolling his eyes and teasing right back. Rose caught their arms,  
“Another time perhaps, My Dears,” she kissed them each on the cheek and they beamed back at her. “Go on and get back to your games, now...” They whooped and ran back to the grassy area that was beginning to turn white with the first light snow of the season. Rose finished saddling her horse, mounted and trotted off towards her favorite woodland path. The snow was being filtered down through the forest by the trees and it was almost magical as two red winter birds lit on her horses head, tweeted their hellos, then flew on. Rose smiled as she watched the animals in their winter preparations, hiding their last few acorns, lining nests with the last few leaves. Then something caught her eye. A silvery white streak passed across her path. She could just make out the form of a wolf. Wolves had long since left these woods and the whole for Arturia for that matter. They'd been forced to move to the mountain areas because of over-hunting. What was a lone wolf doing in these parts,  
“Whadaya suppose?” she wondered aloud to herself. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

King Ludovic sat shrouded in a black cloak in the middle of the clearing, waiting for his guest to arrive. He was late. Ludovic heard a noise off to his left and turned to see his guest standing there with folded arms, his own black cloak wrapped around him. His hood was up, but through two holes in the top curved a set of horns, slender and curved like those of a buffalo, only they had been etched into with strange symbols. Ludovic smiled an oily smile at the man.  
“Ah, Adrian, so good of you to come-”  
“Dispense with the pleasantries. It is not good, and I was forced to come, or have you forgotten?”  
“I see time has not changed your snippy attitude, my son...”  
“I am not your son and you are not my father!!” Adrian roared, seeming to fly instantly to loom over the king. The king made a small motion with his hand and Adrian flew backwards into a tree, hitting hard with a great thud. Ludovic waited a moment and let Adrian regain his breath. The cloak hood had fallen back to reveal Adrian's long, dark, gently curling hair and a second set of horns nestled at the base of the others, this pair fat and curved into themselves like the horns of a ram. Adrian's face was dark, a full beard hiding the lower portion of his face except for the edge of his upper lip which was curved like that of a great lion. Above is beard he wore an inky, beautifully damasked mask that covered the upper entirety of his face. His steel blue eyes shot daggers at the king who smirked at him. He hadn't realized the man had become to powerful and it slightly scared him.  
“Now, if you've finished with your temper tantrum we shall get down to business. I have called you here to offer you a deal. If you agree to it, it shall absolve you of all of your past crimes and you will be allowed back into BlackHeathe and it's surrounding lands. In fact you would be welcomed back into our kingdom as the Crown Prince you were meant to be,” Ludovic said, picking at his glove. Adrian stood and brushed himself off,  
“And what must I do to be so greatly rewarded?” he inquired, a heavy layer of sarcasm frosting his words.  
“Bring me something that I need. It doesn't matter how you get it, just bring it to me and all will be forgiven.” For a brief fraction of a second, Adrian was tempted by this proposition,  
“You must tell me exactly what it is you need, so that I may know better how to acquire it,”  
“I must tell you nothing. But I will tell you that it is a girl, the youngest daughter of the Crown Princess and her husband. I don't care what you have to do to get her, just bring her to me and you'll have your reward. She is the key to-” but Adrian cut him off.  
“I don't care what you need her for, I won't do it. She doesn't deserve to be ripped from her family. I don't know your plans, but I don't need to because I know you. I know your evil and I will have no part of it. The girl should not be witness to such depravity; My kingdom isn't worth it!” he said, through gritted teeth, his jaw visibly working.  
“Your kingdom?! Your kingdom?? Black-Heath is mine, you forfeit your ownership of it when you took your sisters and fled upon your mother's death. BlackHeathe and all the lands of Astoria will be mine whether you help me or not. In fact I rather hope you do try to stop me, then I'll have no more excuses not to kill you. If I were you, I'd run very far away, you seem rather adept at doing that. Leave Astoria for if I see you again I will surely kill you where you stand,” he said rising and moving off. He fell silent as he reached the tree line and slunk off into the darkness. Adrian was left on his own, rubbing his tender back. It would heal quickly, he knew, as most injuries did, but it didn't stop it from hurting. He was disgusted at what the man had asked of him. He had promised his mother the day she died that he would change. He would strive to right the wrongs he'd done whatever way he could, and he'd done some of that. Stealing from the Black Knights to repay the people he'd caused the most harm to. He knew money wouldn't bring them back their loved ones, nor would it heal the injuries they suffered, but he did what he could until he had been run out every village and town in BlackHeathe and the Black Cliffs entirely. If Ludovic was going to go after this girl, Adrian would do what he could to stop him. He whistled and Zephyr, his silver-white wolf came to his side. He whispered to it and sent it on it's way.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rose had gently kicked her horse on to follow the wolf, who snaked through the forest. Rose had already lost track of where she was and had unknowingly gone from Englewood, the familiar woods, into the Black Forest, a darker, denser wood that was foreign to her. She'd never been in this part of the woodlands before, not even with her father or brothers, she knew, yet she followed the wolf's path until it came to a small stream. It followed it's edge until the stream emptied out into a wide, yet fairly shallow river. In the middle of the wide river there was a large island covered in tall green grass. The area was rather breathtaking with his crystal clear, green-blue hued water, the stately evergreens that shone in the sun a deep emerald green, but Rose didn't really notice it, she was far too preoccupied by the solitary figure astride a magnificent horse. Both rider and horse were swathed in black. The rider had great horns emanating from his helmet she supposed, and he looked imposing on the great black beast that was his horse. They stood almost frozen out on the island, the horse grazing as it's rider sat atop him, still and quiet. Even from as far away as she was, Rose could see that he was a fearsome sight to behold in his dark finery accented by a black mask. His deep purple scarf gently moved in the light breeze and snowfall. While he might have been frightening to some, he appeared rather melancholy to Rose. She could feel a sadness emanating from him, but before she had a chance to ride forward several knights on horseback emerged from the edge of the forest dressed in dark crimson armour. They came from the far end of the island where it was closest to the forest's edge and they rode hard, quickly overtaking and surrounding the man in black who remained still. The blood knights drew their sabers, forcing the man in black to draw his own in defense. Without a word the knights laid into him. Not a fair fight in the least, Rose thought. She sensed that the man was in no way the evil of those gathered there, added to the fact that he was severely outnumbered, Rose used her powers to create a distraction. A thick mist rose from the river, and around the skirmish came sounds of ferocious animals. She even went so far as to create the illusion of some dark creature pulling one man from his horse and dragging him to the river. A trumpet sounded and as swiftly as they'd come, the knights fell back to where they had emerged and returned from whence they had come. Rose followed their retreat with her eyes. The man was nowhere to be seen. He must have fallen from his dark horse, out of her site in the tall grasses. Crossing this side of the river on which she had watched from the edge of the trees, Rose saw that the man on the ground and thought he must be gravely injured. Rose rushed forward to find him, dressed in strange raiment, wounded and lying on the ground barely breathing. She rushed to his side and tried to help him. He was quickly aroused but pushed her away, keeping his face from her view, though she already had seen he wore a mask. The minute he laid eyes on her, he knew who she was and knew that she was not safe there.  
“I don't need your help, my lady. These woods are not safe. Gypsies and pirates from Blackheathe and the Black Cliffs tarry around these waters. A lady of your status should not be here unaccompanied.”  
“But sir, you are injured, please return with me to my home and I shall arrange for your needs to be tended,” Rose insisted. She'd realized that his horns were not on a helmet but where a part of his skull, yet it didn't frighten her in the least.  
“No, thank you, my lady. It is only superficial and I heal quickly, by enchantment. My home is not far as the wolf runs. Please, return to your home where you shall be safe, you are in grave danger here.” and he took her dainty hand in his large black leather clad one and kissed it, his tone turning from reassuring to insistent, “Go now.” With these words he suddenly and rather nimbly swung up into the ornate saddle and rode off, his cloak billowing in the breeze behind him. He swiftly galloped to the end of the island, across the river, and disappeared through the dark trees. Realizing that the white wolf had also disappeared, Rose looked after him in a moment, then made her way back to her home by means of a location spell. A mournful lone wolf cry followed her as she left the river.  
The sun was just about to set when RoséBelle arrived back at her family's estate Castlebarre Manor. Immediately she sensed something was strangely wrong. There were no servants to meet her at the gate, no one working in the fields, and no footman at the stable. She tied up her horse and with no thought for her own safety she rushed into the rear atrium. She was shocked beyond belief to find bloody footprints in the hall and blood smears across the walls, a few servants lying pale, dead from whatever struggle there had been. She followed the blood trails and footprints which led her to the family's private sitting room on the second level. Inside her parents and siblings bodies were strewn across the room; each had been brutally murdered, their bodies desecrated in the most horrendous fashion. There were signs that her mother and sisters had been raped, and her father and brothers brutally beaten before their entrails were strewn across the floor. She had no time for tears for she heard a noise back downstairs. Cautiously she crept out onto the landing to see what it might be. Through the great window she could see figures, dressed in the same crimson armour, the same crimson sash, as the knights she had seen attack the mysterious man in the mask. They had two servants on their knees and were holding them by the collars, demanding information from them. A few knights were making their way from the front of the main hall towards the staircase, fanning out around the mansion to make sure there was no one left alive. They had remnants of drying blood on their armour. These men must have somehow doubled back after attacking the man at the great river, or perhaps one or the other had been a scouting party. Rose rushed to her father's side, grabbing he and Henrie's swords from the floor where thy had fallen. She readied herself to fight to the death. Her father and brother's had trained her well in the art of swordplay, but she was unsure if she could match these devils who essayed against her family since they'd been overcome themselves. She went back to the landing and stood ready. The one who appeared to be the leader of the blood knights mounted the staircase, a low growl in his throat as his dark eyes fell upon her, piercing her heart with frozen fear from beneath the blood red cloak hood that doubled as a mask. He laughed at her holding the swords and with a wave of his hand the sword flew out of her hand and beyond her reach. Rose stood solidly, unable to move, unable to use her powers as the man approached. Her eyes were locked with his as he grabbed her arms and flung her to the ground, just as he had the sword.  
Suddenly there was a sound like the ferocious roar or a bear or lion and a figure in black pounced on the man in the blood red cloak, sending him flailing to the ground floor. Somehow Rose recognized the mysterious man from the river underneath the blackness of his robes. Her eyes darted from the man in black, to the man in red, to the window. Black streaks swirled around the men outside as they fell to the ground. Their dying screams echoed in Rose's ears as she turned her gaze back to the two men on the ground. She cautiously crept down the staircase, eyes always on the men as they struggled. The man in black rose and with a swirl of his cape hurled himself into the midst of four of the blood knights who had entered the mansion from the rear of the estate. Rose's eyes fell upon the white face of their leader in the blood red cloak. His features were distorted in a freakish grin and his eyes wide with insane fear, blood covered his lower jowls, his neck, and the front of his cloak and armour. A hand touched hers and she shrunk from it, turning quickly to face her attacker. She found only a dark and beautiful woman in luxurious black fur standing there. She put a perfectly manicured finger to her lips, her long nails gleaming against her blood red lips, and bade Rose come with her. She nodded, sensing a familiarity in the woman's dark eyes. The two women, one blonde, one raven-haired, exited the front of the mansion, stepping over pale faced men in blood stained armour. Another woman, red-haired, dressed in the same luxurious fur as her sisters joined them once they were outside. Silently, stealthily they made their way around to the stables. Their brother staggered out of the rear entrance of the house,  
“Bring her with us, she is no longer safe here anymore,” he said in a strained yet gentle voice. The sisters nodded and were about to take her by the arms, when their brother stumbled and nearly collapsed. Rose broke free of the womens grasp and hastened to her rescuer's side and helped to support him. He allowed her help him this time, putting his arm around her shoulders; in a flash, they were suddenly transported to the entrance of a dark Gothic mass of intricately carved stone. It loomed over their heads, framed with an ethereal light cast by a clouded moon. It stood out against the black, yet starry sky like a shadow of a thorny giant, it's spires and buttresses jutting out like tendrils or horns. Before Rose knew it they were inside the castle, standing in the middle of a huge lavishly decorated baroque great room. The sisters had removed her wet cloak and wrapped her in fur, sitting her down in front of the hearth. A fire burned there, and it's light cast dancing shadows across the walls and draperies of the room. The silvery white wolf she had seen earlier curled up next to the chair that his master had collapsed in.  
“My sisters will see you to your room.”  
“My room?”  
“You shall stay here in safety for as long as you need.”  
“Thank you, my lord. You are most kind, but I should go to my kinsman. They will be worried for me. I have high connections in the royal house of Arturia, and they can...”  
“They may have been responsible for the massacre at your home, Princess. Let me warn you, I have seen with these very eyes, atrocities committed by the closest of kin. There are rumors of treachery in King Anton's court,” he knew Ludovic had to have gotten his information from somewhere in Arturia's royal halls. “You shall remain here, I will protect you, but only if you remain within the grounds of the castle... “ he paused “...I am not kind, my lady, I do this only because of the help you offered me at the great river; I never leave a gentle offering unrequited, nor a wronged spirit dissolute. I only ask in return that you would offer your gifts and companionship to my sisters, I ask nothing but a small request for me. I have heard tales of your artistic gifts and I wish to know then for myself.” The sisters returned to the room and the golden haired sister, Varitie offered Rose a chalice of warm mulled wine while the raven-haired sister, Illyria began to dress her brother's wounds.  
“Ask whatever you will of me, my lord. I will gladly give it you,” she paused and took a sip from the warm chalice, “I would like to thank you for saving my life, only you know more about me, than I do about you. Pray what is your name?” Rose asked as she sat on the floor, stroking the wolf's soft fur. The dark lord would have loved nothing more than to tell her who he really was, but his past had made him an outcast, a monster in the eyes of the Arturians, especially the royal family.  
“I am a disgrace to my kin, a monster,” he winced, something akin to a growl forming deep in his throat, “That hurt, witch!” he bellowed as Illyria backed away, teeth bared, hissing like a cat. “My own sister, out to maim me as well,” he muttered to no one in particular. Rose had already noticed the gleaming silvery white fangs bore by the lord and his sisters. She had only heard stories of their kind, but never seen them in person.  
“Perhaps you'd like to do it yourself, My Prince?!” Illyria spat back caustically, throwing the damp rag in his face.  
“Insolent, foolish-”  
“Allow me,” Rose said quietly, setting her chalice aside and taking the damp cloth from him.  
“You don't have to...” The look in Rose's eyes stopped him from speaking any further. The fact that she even met his eyes was enough to surprise him.  
“I want to.” She placed the cloth in the bowl and wrung it out, placing it lightly on his arm, without so much as flinching at his marred appearance. The heat of the pain vanished at her cooling touch, a soothing sensation beginning to move through his arm and shoulder, deep into his muscles. Her powers were far beyond what even the related tales could have told, and the dark lord was quite astonished. It relaxed him as she hummed a beautifully haunting tune, cleaning his wounds as the sensation rushed over his body. The tune was strangely familiar to him, yet he was so relaxed he couldn't focus to think where he'd heard it before. Rose studied the marks on his fore arm, bicep & shoulder. There were strange symbols, words, and pictures scarred and inked into his skin. Some were darker than others and many were quite frightful to behold, yet she never wavered in the flow of her powers of healing and soothing.  
The dark lord and his sisters were creatures of the night, Night Walkers some called them, but some lands to the far north and east called them Vampyres. Either name would be enough to strike fear into anyone's heart. But Rose was not anyone. Even as a small child, everyone in the kingdom knew her as the princess who never met a stranger, a true “People's Princess.” Through her eyelashes she gazed at the man's masked face. From beneath it's smooth covering she could see the same strange marks beneath his close cropped beard. His lip had a slight cleft that led to his nose almost like that of a lion. But his eyes were what caught her attention most. They were of a silvery blue that she'd never seen before and they studied her with cold calculating precision. Yet somehow they seemed to warm to her and the corners of his lips to turn up as she sang the last verse of her song. His arm was well cleaned and bandaged and Varitie took the bowl and cloth from her, carrying it back to the kitchen as Bianca, the ginger-haired sister, brought out some steaming meat pies for Rose. She laid a gold napkin across her lap and set the plate next to the chalice.  
“Thank you, but I'm not hungry...I feel a little ill, actually...” she said, setting the napkin aside and rising. She took a step and wobbled, gripping the arm of the sofa to steady herself as her knees began to give out. Adrian was there in a flash and had picked her up, carrying her up the stairs as Illyria led the way to a lovely room fit for any princess. Adrian laid her on the bed and showed her a bell.  
“Ring this if you need anything. Rest now, you are safe here.”  
“Thank you,” Rose said a little weakly, the room beginning to spin. Adrian squinted at her behind his mask as Illyria felt her forehead with the back of her hand.  
“A slight fever. I'll make some tea for her. She'll rest quietly then,” she whispered to her brother to reassure him. He nodded and turned to follow her, but Rose caught his sleeve,  
“What am I to call you? The Black Prince who saved my life?” she asked with a slight smile. The corners of his mouth twitched, but he did not smile.  
“Adrian will do just fine, Princess. Now rest. You are safe here,” he said. Taking her hand and placing it beneath the fur blanket. Rose nodded weakly. She drank the tea that Illyria gave her then fell fast asleep. She woke in the night crying, memories of her attack and grief for her family surfacing in uncontrollable sobbing fits. Illyria and Varitie sat with her, letting her cry her grief out for as long as she needed.  
Adrian tried to sleep, but the sobbing wouldn't allow him to. It wasn't that it was loud or irritating, but that it was beyond pitiful, like the crying of a kitten who lost it's mother. He tried to drown the sound out with the pillows, but it ate at him, like a cold finger down his spine, chilling him all the way through. He finally got up and locked himself in his workshop, but he could still hear her sobs. He left his workshop and went to the bedroom that housed the enchanted wardrobe. There he placed his hands on the handles, made a wish, then opened it. A small clockwork orchestra began to play music and it seemed to momentarily sooth him as he carried them back to his workshop and began to work. If she stayed, he would show her the wardrobe and allow her to use it, should she want to. For the time being the music covered most of RoséBelle's piteous sobs and he could work in peace.  
Rose finally slept after a few cups of the tea. Her fever had spiked during her crying fit, but she was finally cool and slept soundly til morning. Even then she slept on and Adrian feared she had exhausted herself for too much the night before. He peeked into her room to see her sound asleep. The sight moved him in a manner he'd never felt before. He wondered at the sleeping angel beneath the soft white and grey fur, her auburn curls falling all over her shoulders. He was mesmerized by her and he smiled as she sighed in her sleep. He creeped to the foot of her bed and leaned on the post, just gazing at her. He cautiously inched forward to sit on the foot of her bed to get a better look at her. She stirred and woke.  
“Do you often stand at the foot of people's bed and watch them sleep, Lord Adrian?” Rose asked with a slight smile as she stretched a bit. The question caught him off-guard and he stood abruptly.  
“Wha..I-uh..no, not usually. I trust you slept well when you finally settled.” he said, moving around back around the post, further away from her.  
“Finally, yes. I must apologize for keeping you all awake, I didn't mean to interfere...”  
“You had a heavy heart, and your grief was fresh. You have nothing to apologize for. ” His own words startled him and he turned his back to her. “I shall-um...have one of my sisters bring some clothes for you, then you may join us for lunch if you wish.” he said, picking at the cuff of his glove.  
“That's very kind of you. Thank you....May I ask you something?”  
“Yes,” he said turning back to her.  
“Why do you wear a mask and gloves? Is it because you are afraid of frightening someone?...someone like me?” she asked softly, sitting up in bed. Her question was innocent enough, yet it again caught him off-guard.  
“No!...well...maybe” he thought for a moment on the best way to answer her. “I'm scarred, from things I've done in my past. Things that are far too hideous and grotesque to mention. I'm trying to make those things right, but the world seems set against me. I live here, far from anyone else so that no one will have to see me.”  
“Then why wear a mask if you and your sisters are the only ones around. I'm sure their love has blinded them to the scars and they only see the real you. As for me, you needn't worry. I'm not afraid-”  
“You should be. I am a beast,” he snapped harshly, cutting her off. But Rose didn't flinch,  
“You said yourself you are trying to make the things you've done right again. You aren't a beast or a monster. You saved my life and kept me safe, and for that I am more than grateful. If that doesn't at least begin to turn your spirit around, I fear you may be lost for good. But I will refuse to believe that for as long as there is hope left in the world!”  
Adrian glanced at her over his shoulder, not sure how to take what she'd said,  
“...then you are either a fool or an angel...” he muttered to himself.  
“Pardon?”  
“My sisters will see to your food and clothing,” he said, a bit abruptly, then turned on his heel and left.  
When he had gone Rose took the time to explore her room. It was decorated in shades of white, gold, and orchid. Everything was carved with intricate designs of roses, swans, and peacocks and gilt at every turn. The bed itself was built like a giant swan boat with cherubs and more swans and peacocks looking down on her from the canopy above. Intricate lace hung round the canopy, the windows, and off of every little table and shelf around the room. She felt like she'd wandered into fairy land. A few moments later Illyria and Bianca entered with gowns and jewels and flowers for her hair.  
“Oh I don't need all that finery,” she said as the women laid out the gowns on the bed and the jewels and flowers on the dressing table, “I'm really very simple when it comes to things like this.”  
“Our brother insists. You should be wary to oblige him in his requests. Besides, you are a princess and a princess should dress thus,” Bianca said with a little toss of her head as she smoothed out a mauve and maroon striped taffeta gown. Illyria gave her sister a look and it shut her up. Rose choose a simple blue satin gown and a single teardrop shaped amethyst necklace with matching earrings. There was only one small mirror edged in purple flowers that she could look in,  
“If your brother does not approve, then I shall have to find somewhere else to stay,” Illyria held a small circlet of white flowers and as about to put it atop Roses' curls, but decided to take a single white rose from it no bigger than a gold sovereign and tucked it just behind Rose's ear. Rose nodded her approval, but Bianca frowned. She never crossed her brother and strove to do everything she could for him, but Illyria was the eldest of the girls and she fought often with Adrian, sometimes physically with him if their tempers got the better of them as if often did. But aside from their tempers butting heads, she knew her brother better than he himself did sometimes and she could already tell there was something about this young woman that had worked it's way under his armour and was beginning to chink it away bit by bit. Bianca hung the gowns in the wardrobe and put the jewels away in a drawer of the dresser before making the bed and following Rose and Illyria down the stairs to lunch. As she descended the stairs, Rose could feel Adrian's eyes on her and could see him frowning behind his mask as she took the seat indicated by Illyria to Adrian's right hand. She acted as if nothing was wrong.  
“You didn't wear the dress I chose for you. Why?” Adrian asked scowling.  
“Good Morning, Varitie,” Rose said, ignoring Adrian's comment, gaze, and bristle.  
“Answer me!” he said, raising his voice to an almost shout.  
“Don't shout, it's not polite. And I didn't feel like wearing it, that's why,” she said, looking at him square in the eye, her confident chin lifted. He wasn't sure if he was upset that she hadn't chosen the dress and jewels he'd especially picked for her or upset that she dared to defy his wishes, or if it was simply because she'd chosen something so simple over the other, certainly more royal, gowns and jewels that he'd requested she'd wear. He was flustered and taken aback that she's dare speak to him in that manner.  
“In the future, I suggest you do as I ask-”  
“Or what? You'll kill me, leave me to the wolves, throw me out into the snow?,” she laughed, “that would be absurd since you are the one who rescued me in the first place!”  
“I'm beginning to wish I hadn't. You've caused enough trouble already,” he muttered. Illyria kicked him under the table.  
“I hope you finally got some rest last night,Princess ” Varitie ventured, eying her brother who still sat staring at Rose.  
“Please, call me Rose. And I did. Thank you for sitting up with me last night.”  
“Oh, it was nothing,” Varitie practically giggled. Good lord a giggle, Adrian's head spun so quickly at the unfamiliar sound it startled them all.  
“What in heaven's name was that ungodly noise you just made?!” he said. Varitie covered her mother with her hand, wide-eyed. Adrian shook his head and sighed, “If this keeps up, the Princess will have my entire household upended by the end of the week!” Adrian said, peering over the top of his wineglass.  
“Don't mind our brother, Rose. He's simply forgotten what laughter sounds like,” Illyria said, placing a hand on her brother's arm. He pulled it away from her,  
“Speak for yourself, woman, and don't presume to know my mind.” he said, a little more harsh than he'd meant to. He finished his glass of wine and left the table to stand by the window on the complete opposite side of the room. With the way the ceilings were vaulted, he could still hear the women's conversation, even if he couldn't make out expressions or catch their eyes.  
“Your brother is strong willed and a bit stubborn, I observe. My father would say the same about me and I have-had two older brothers who were the same way. But oh were they ever fiercely loyal if anyone were to say or do something against myself and my two older sisters. They were not of my blood, but I love...loved them dearly...” her voice trailed as she picked at the food on her plate.  
“If you don't like rabbit, I can get you something else, Dear,” Bianca said, taking notice of her only nibbled-on plate.  
“No, I like it. It's just, I'm just not really that hungry right now,” Rose answered, smiling at her.  
“You know I think that's one reason we're so drawn to you, Dear,” Varitie said.  
“What is?” Rose asked, turning to the blonde seated next to her.  
“You're sweet spirit. It seems just as f you're another sister come to bring happiness back into our lives even in the midst of the sadness of yours,” she said, squeezing Rose's hand. Illyria smiled knowingly,  
“Aye, I think you're right, Varitie. She speaks her name very well, does she not, Adrian. Truth in every word.” Adrian chuffed from across the room, but the corners of his lips turned up slightly. His sisters had a way of turning the tables on him and he usually found that he liked it when they did. He couldn't argue with Illyria, he'd always felt that their mother had known that her youngest would posses the gift of truth and so she was well named. Rose must be around the same age because they had become fast friends.  
“Varitie, why don't you show her highness the castle. She may go anywhere she chooses. And if she fulfills whatever little requests I make of her during the day, she may choose a key from the tray...” he waved his hand in the direction of the table where there appeared a gilt tray with several keys on it, “...to unlock whatever room it corresponds to that evening. The only exception being the furthest parts of the West Wing. No one may enter there without my permission-”  
“But why?-” Rose started, but Adrian cut her off again.  
“It is forbidden. See that you learn that well, Princess.” His words were slightly harsh as he ascended the stairs and disappeared down one of the halls. Silently Rose followed him with her eyes. Something about him made her want to know him better, to peel away his harsh exterior and find the real man beneath. Varitie took her hand and practically pulled her out of the chair.  
“You'll love the castle. It's so beautiful and mysterious!” she gushed, linking Rose's arm through hers as they hurried out of the main hall and down a corridor. They explored all over the castle, except for the rooms that were locked. There really wasn't all that much to see except for the art and tapestries that hung on the walls, all of which had a thick layer of dust covering them, making them harder to clearly make out. As she told her of the castle's history, how their mother had grown up there, Varitie and Rose became fast friends that day, growing close like sisters. Their frivolity was quickly ended as they came around a corner and ran headlong into Adrian who stood there with his arms folded across his chest, looking stern, but a tiny bit pleased that Rose's spirit seemed somewhat lighter than it had since arriving.  
“Brother dear, you scared us!” Varitie cried, trying to contain her giggling.  
“And just what have you two been up to all this time?” he asked sternly, the corner of his mouth tugging upward.  
“Oh nothing, just showing our guest around the castle, just like you suggested. Though we may have poked a few suits of armour just to make sure there were no creatures or servants trapped inside...alright, we did do that, you know I can't lie, but we did save a clockwork maid who fell in one while trying to clean it!” Varitie smiled up at him.  
“Very well. Go on and see if your sisters have need of you. I have something to discuss with our guest,” Adrian said. Varitie smiled wider and went up on tiptoe to kiss her brother's cheek then ran off to find her sisters, blonde curls bouncing. Rose looked down at the carpet and played with her thumbnail. “You needn't look so fearful, Princess. I'm not going to bite you, I was merely teasing my sister as I have want to do on occasion...but not often,” he paused and studied her, her eyes never leaving his face once she had lifted her head. She was brave, he'd give her that for sure. “Come...walk with me...”  
“As you wish, My Lord,” Rose said as he nodded back toward the way she and Varitie had just come. Rose fell instep beside him. Adrian clasped his hands behind his back as they walked slowly through the corridors. “You still grieve for your family?” he asked cautiously. Rose nodded,  
“I feel I shall always grieve now that they are no longer with me. I was very close to them, my father and brothers especially. I loved my mother and sisters, but my sisters were prone to vanity and pettiness and constantly kept my father's merchants busier than they should have been bringing in all kinds of fabrics, and frivolities. They would spend hours in front of the glass primping to go out with their friends to social events. My brothers weren't like that. Jean-Rene helped father with the merchants and Henrie trained his own contingent of military men, but was home more often than not as it was really only a ceremonial position since my mother was the King's brother.”  
“King Anton is your uncle...interesting,” Adrian mused aloud.  
“Not really, he's just another family member to me, but still we-I respect his position and he does-did like to dote on my mother and I. Even with me being adopted, my parents and the king always took it in stride, but my sister give-gave me grief over it,” she sighed heavily, “having to remember to use the past tense and not the present is tiresome...”  
“I don't doubt it. Are you tired, Princess? We can rest if you need to,” he asked quickly, turning to her and placing a hand on her arm, then catching himself and pulling his hand back.  
“No, it's alright. I'm fine...but I do wish you would stop calling me Princess...” she answered.  
“Forgive me, what would you like me to call you then?” Adrian searched her eyes.  
“You may call me what you wish, just not Princess. RoseBelle if you will, or Rose, or even Belle...Henrie used to call me Belle...” her eyes drifted to the beam of light that flooded into the corridor from the window and she watched the specks of dust float in it. Adrian felt a bit of sympathy for her, losing her entire family in one senseless crime should be too much for one person to handle, especially one who seemed so delicate as she.  
“I didn't mean to upset you. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Rose,” he said quietly, resting against a table. They'd stopped in the middle of the corridor and Rose stood staring into middle space.  
“You didn't,” she smiled softly up at him. “There's no sense in trying to avoid speaking of something you can't change. Turning back the clock is beyond even my powers. Shall we continue?” Adrian nodded and they resumed their path down the corridor turning into the main hall after several minutes of silence. “You mentioned you wanted to discuss something with me?”  
“Yes...you have powers, so you would know about these things-at least I would assume you would anyway. What do you know of curses? How do you get rid of them, undo them if you will?”  
“I don't really know much about them. I assume you're speaking of your curse?”  
“Not particularly,” Adrian tried to shift the subject, “but curses in general, magic in general really. I have some power, but it's nothing compared to yours.”  
“You seem to know so much about me and I know nothing of you. Would you mind telling me about you first?” Rose said, resting her arms on the top of the chair she stood by. Adrian had moved to stand in front of the fireplace and had his back to her.  
“It's none of your business...” he snapped, then caught himself. Rose saw his shoulders slump,  
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit a nerve, I just meant-”  
“I know what you meant...it's just that my story isn't a nice one, nor a good one,” he said, turning and sinking into the chair on which she leaned. She moved around to sit on a cushion in front of him. She liked the way the reflection of the sun in the great hall filtered down and framed his face in strange shadow as it glinted off his dark brown tresses. “I wouldn't want to burden you with knowledge that might-might...”  
“Might what? Make me hate you or be frightened of you?...I don't scare easily, as you might have gathered. You've been too kind to me to ever make me hate you or even dislike you, no matter what you tell me.”  
“I'm a beast-a monster-”  
“Stop! You only call yourself that because someone once called you that a long time ago. None of that matters now. You're a human being and you should treat yourself thus.” Adrian looked at her as if he couldn't even begin to understand her or what she said.  
“How is it that you are so kind?” he breathed. Rose smiled at him and took his hand.  
“I was always taught to never judge a book by it's cover, and thus never to judge people by the way they look or act before I get to know them. It's served me well all these years,” she took hold of the cuff of his glove and started to pull it off. Adrian tried to stop her. “You forget, I healed your wounds the first night I came here, remember. I know what your arm and hand look like and I'm not frightened of it,” she shushed him and continued to pull off his glove. She took his hand in hers and gently ran her fingers over it. “You know it irks me to see someone put upon or run themselves down just because someone once called them something or did something them that's in the past and completely unchangeable in the present, like you calling yourself a beast....” Even his fingers were scarred and his nails were like claws, but his hand was still thin and well muscled and Rose felt that they could still be tender despite their appearance. “...If you won't tell me about certain parts of your past, tell me about your childhood then and I'll tell you abut mine.” Adrian sighed, just the feeling of her hand on his relaxed him and he nodded, relaxing his armour as well,  
“Very well then, Belle,” he smiled at the name and he saw Rose blush. “I'm the eldest of the four of us. My father was kin-a noble lord...” he quickly covered his almost too-truthful words “...in the Black Cliffs and my mother a NightWalker, or what some call a Vampyre. Her name was Margueritte. She was the most beautiful woman in all of the land, but because of this many men coveted her and tried to steal her from my father. He was kind and he couldn't believe that men could be so wicked as to try and steal his wife away simply because she was beautiful. He loved her very much and tried to protect her and the four of us children, his little army, he called us. He taught us everything we know. He was my idol and I wanted to be just like him. But one day, an opposing lord challenged him saying that my mother had been unfaithful to him and was carrying his child. It was a lie, he knew it, we knew it, yet he still accepted the challenge and paid for it with his life. Our mother was indeed pregnant, but the man who'd killed my father made sure that the baby was never born. He married my mother and took all of my father's wealth, his lands and all of his possessions. He locked my mother away and warned that any man caught gazing at her would be put to death. He forced me and my sisters to do horrendous things. I tried to resist him, but I couldn't. The lord forced my own mother to put this curse on me and so I wear the face of an animal, scarred by every bad thing I've ever done in my life. He made me a laughing stock to the people of our home, the friends we grew up with, not to mention the things he did to my sisters. Those same friends we'd known for so long called me monster, devil-child, a beast....and it killed my mother to see and hear them treat us like that. When she died, her husband took it out on us. I took my sisters and we fled for our lives. We had nothing left there. My mother had told me of the place where she grew up, a castle, this castle, so we came here and here we've stayed ever since.” Adrian looked from the fire, into which he'd been staring, down to Rose, who's face was streaked with tears. “Oh there now, I've upset you, Belle...” he sat forward and with his ungloved hand wiped the tears from her eyes. They burned his skin, but he didn't stop til they were gone from her cheeks.  
“That was so sad. But I understand you so much more now. Thank you for telling me, I know it was hard for you,” she looked down at her hand and there were claw marks on it where he'd squeezed it.  
“No, no! I have hurt you. I shouldn't have told you,” he stood perturbed, shoving his glove back on over his claws. “It's late. Go to your room, I'll have your diner sent up.”  
“It's alright, really. You didn't hurt me...” Rose insisted.  
“I did hurt you. I said go, now do it.” He'd turned his face away from her and put his armour back up, there was no use trying to argue with him now. She sighed and did as she was told. A clockwork servant brought in her dinner on a tray and she ate it in silence, wondering at how the little automaton could move and speak like a real creature, yet be made of nothing but metal, wood, and wire. It looked liked a candelabra with a face and arms and it spoke and moved just as if it were alive. Perhaps this was the little bit of magic Adrian had spoke of. When she went to bed, she dreamed of Adrian's past, his mother, the evil lord and wondered how anyone could be forced into cursing their own beloved child.  
The next day after breakfast, Rose asked if Adrian would walk with her, outside in the garden. He agreed and they went. As they walked Rose named almost every single species of rose that grew there. Winter had just begun and the last of the summer roses were beginning to die. But the first of the winter roses were beginning to bud and open their hearty blooms.  
“You told me of your family, now I shall tell you of mine,” Rose said brushing some light snow off a bench.  
“But you already have, have you not, about your sisters and brothers?” Adrian said, picking a light pink, burgundy tipped rose, removing it's thorns and placing it in Rose's hair. She smiled,  
“I suppose I did, but you don't know everything. I was not their blood. They loved me and cared for me as if I were, but my mother was an enchantress, she died giving me to Melodie Castlebarre-my new mother. I never saw her face, but I know somewhat how she looked because of the story my mother told me of her and of some supposed prophecy about me. She had gold flecked red-brown hair with eyes that shone like turquoise sea-jewels. Mother said I have her eyes and mouth and the same manor of smiling. There was a monument she erected in her honour, there in the family cemetery.”  
“I saw it,” Adrian said, his voice soft as he gazed at Rose's pained expression. “Please, you needn't talk of such things if it grieves you so,” he said, placing a gloved hand over hers. She smiled softly down at his hand and gently pulled his glove off again.  
“Your hand is so warm and strong. I wish you'd leave those silly gloves off, unless your hands are truly cold,” she said, gently stroking his fingers. She loved the way her fingertips felt on his smooth claws and how they contrast to the thick hair on the back of his hand. He was almost scared by how easily she could relax him by doing that to his hand.  
“Rose. I went back to your home the night I brought you here. I brought back a few things for you. Would you like to see them?” he asked, his voice almost a purr as her fingers continued to work on his hand.  
“Oh yes, please,” she said. With his ungloved hand he took hold of hers and led her around the garden wall to the stables. In the stall beside his great black stallion was the mare her father had given her, saddle and take still on her. “Oh Gypsy! He brought you back to me!” she said, caressing the mares silky champagne hide. Gypsy nickered at her and dropped her head on her shoulder. She even let Adrian stroke her nose with a finger. Rose lifted her hand and Gypsy's tack began to remove itself as a brush was lifted from a bucket by the door and began to brush her as if with invisible hands. Adrian was slightly startled by it until he remembered Rose's powers. He was used to having to do everything with his hands rather than his lacking powers. He moved to the saddlebags that had already been hung on a hook on the wall. From inside he pulled a bundle.  
“Here. I brought these back for you as well.” He handed her the bundle and she sat on a low bench to open it. Inside was a small silver musical box with a few pieces of her mother's jewelry in it, a framed photo of her family and both her father and her mother's wedding rings. She had no idea how he got them, but she was overwhelmed that he had. When she remained silent, he feared he had upset her. She cried silent tears, then suddenly she fairly jumped into Adrian's arms, flinging her own around his neck,  
“Thank you so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate you doing this! You're so kind... Thank you...” she couldn't contain her emotions and started to cry again. Adrian had been so shocked by her actions that he couldn't recover. Finally when he did, he pulled her off of him and took a step back,  
“You're welcome, Princess....Rose....I only wish I'd arrived sooner...” he said, his voice trailing as he saw the look in her eyes.  
“Oh no, you did what you could, when you could. You have no idea how much it means to me, really you don't.”  
“Well...you're welcome,” he said, trying to return to his gruff exterior, “In return you must sing for me tonight. For now I'll leave you....Until tonight, Princess,” he bowed slightly. She smiled at him and curtsied in reply,  
“Til tonight, your highness,” she replied. With his head bowed a little, his eyebrows raised a little at her slight mock of him as he looked at her through his lashes. The corners of his mouth tugged upward as he turned and left the stables. His hands clenched and unclenched slightly in his own consternation at how she could make him feel so strangely. He was not kind, he told himself, but he wanted to be. With this woman, he suddenly wanted to be everything he was not, everything he hadn't been in such a very long time and the feelings felt so foreign to him.

That evening Rose sang several songs as Adrian sat in front of the fire. She'd found some paper and was attempting to draw him as he sat in his chair, mesmerized by her voice.  
“What are you drawing there?” he asked when she'd finished singing.  
“Oh just Zephyr, here, see for yourself,” she hid the drawing of him and handed him the one of Zephyr.  
“It's so lifelike,” he marveled, “that's an excellent job.”  
“Thank you..” she yawned, “excuse me. Goodness, I think it's time I go to bed, I hadn't realized how tired I really was. If you'll excuse me...” Adrian nodded as she rose and headed towards the stairs.  
“One thing before you go, Rose. The keys...choose one and tomorrow morning you may open the room it corresponds to.” Rose stopped at the end of the table and surveyed the tray of keys. Adrian moved to stand beside her as she looked them over.  
“Hmmm,” she mused, trying to decide, “How...about...this one,” she pointed to a plain bronze key. Adrian picked it up and handed it to her.  
“Very well then, tomorrow you shall see what it opens.” Rose yawned again and nodded as she took the key. She squeezed his hand and smiled with tired eyes, then mounted the stairs to her room.  
“Goodnight Adrian,” she said softly.  
“Goodnight, Belle,” he whispered in reply.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	2. The Stars, The Princess, and the First Key

As Adrian walked the halls that night, unable to sleep for the nightmares that were plaguing him, he passed Rose's room. Her door was open and he saw that her bed was empty. He looked inside to see if maybe she'd woken in the night and stepped out onto her terrace, but he saw no one. He sniffed to try and catch her scent. It led him back inside the castle, down the halls to a staircase Varitie had shown her. He followed the scent up and up until he reached the door to the roof. Quietly he passed through so as not to startle Rose if she were indeed there. When he saw her, his heart nearly stopped. In the glow of the crescent moon, Rose sat on a parapet looking up at the stars. The breeze blew her curls and the thin nightgown she was wearing around her like a cloud and he stood transfixed, mesmerized by her simple beauty as he leaned against the battlements.   
“I love the night sky,” Rose said quietly. “It's like thousands of diamonds were thrown up in the air and stuck to the black velvet of the sky. And the Moon is like an opal hanging just off to the side like a lovely accent, hung not to detract from the sparkle of the stars, but to add to their beauty. I find it fascinating how each has their own name, or grouping...” Adrian moved closer, to sit near her, but far enough away that he could still see her lovely form silhouetted against the night sky.   
“Do you know all of their names?” he asked quietly, tearing his eyes away from her to look up.  
“Not all of them, but some. My father would take me up to the roof and we'd look through his telescope. He was teaching me and my brother's the names when...” her voice trailed and a single tear slid down her cheek. She ignored it as the breeze blew it from her cheek. Adrian felt that same tugging inside of him when she spoke of the attack. He hated to see her hurting. “Up there, that's Cygnae, the Swan king, and over there,” she pointed them out, “ is Beltaine, the Serpent god of the sea, and next to him, his daughter LaMerra, the mermaid.”  
'how do you keep them all straight?” Adrian asked, suddenly intrigued. “If I brought a telescope up here, do you think you could teach them to me. I'm sure there are books on the subject in the library somewhere.”  
“You have a library?!” Rose looked to him with excitement.  
“Yes, a large one at that, but you'll have to find the key for it...” he smirked. Rose grinned happily at him,  
“Then it would be a privilege to teach you what I can, Adrian,” she turned her face back to the sky. “What do you think it would feel like to fly up there in the night sky like that? Do you think the stars would feel like pixies floating around you as your glided through their sea?” Adrian looked at Rose with a sorta of wonderment. She could be very poetic when she got like this, and he wondered if she was beginning to feel contented living here with him and his sisters. “I've always dreamed of having wings and being able to fly anywhere I wanted. I wonder what it must feel like to float on air and be free as a bird...”  
“Do you not feel free here?” Adrian asked, suddenly worried that she might feel like a prisoner instead.  
“Of course I do. I suppose it's silly to still have dreams like that though. I used to climb trees and climb all over the parapets of the manor house when I was little, much to the chagrin of my brothers. My sisters hated that about me. I suppose maybe they hated me more than that...I don't know why though.”  
“Maybe they had no imaginations. You certainly have more of an imagination than a single person really needs,” Adrian said shaking his head. Rose laughed,  
“I suppose you could be right. But how boring life would be without an imagination!” Rose said, gazing back up at the stars. They remained silent for awhile, the serenity of the still night taking hold of them. After some time, Rose sighed, “Do you think they watch us?” Adrian looked back down at her face. Her eyes, though they reflected the sparkle of the stars themselves, had taken on a sad look.  
“Who?” he whispered, moving to sit closer to her.  
“Those we've lost. Do you think they look down and see the choices we make, do you think they're disappointed with us for those choices?”   
“What would make you think that, princess?” Adrian questioned, taking her hand and turning it over in his to run the backs of his fingers across her palm and fingers. He wasn't wearing gloves and the feelings of his warm skin on hers had a calming affect on Rose.   
“I don't know. I over think things sometimes...but I do wonder if my father would be disappointed with me for remaining here instead of going to the palace.”  
“I think that if your father knew what had happened, he would be satisfied that you are somewhere safe for the time being.” Adrian said, staring at the delicate lines in her hand. She dropped her gaze to watch him smooth his fingers along her hand. “You know you are not a prisoner here, you are free to go whenever you like. I just...”  
“You just thought it was safer for me here. My father would have liked you, you know. You think very much like he and my brothers do...did. And that brings me comfort. Thank you, Adrian, for sitting with me, but I think we should be returning to bed, it's very late.” She remained still, her hand still in his.  
“Aye, it is late.” he replied, but he too remained still. Then sighing, he stood, keeping her hand in his. “Come, we must get you back to bed. My sisters would never forgive me if I let you catch cold.”   
“Well, they don't have to know we ever came up here, do they,” Rose smirked at him.  
“Why do I have the feeling you're going to get me into all kinds of trouble one of these days.” he said as he led her back inside to her bedroom.   
“I enjoyed our talk, Adrian. Thank you again for sitting with me,” she said when they reached her door.  
“You're welcome, Princess. I enjoyed it as well. I'll see you in the morning,” he said, closing the door behind him without another word. Rose returned to bed and slept peacefully, without waking again until the sun's rays began peeking through the window.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The next morning after breakfast, Rose held up the key to Adrian,  
“So, shall we find out what it opens now?” she said.  
“Patience. Must we be in such a hurry? I was thinking we could go for a ride in the woods this morning first,” he said. He was teasing her of course, but she didn't know it. Rose sighed,  
“I suppose we could, but...”  
“I know, I know, your curiosity has gotten the better of you,” he sighed, “the ride will have to wait then. Come on, let's go...” he tried not to smile at the light that lit Rose's face, but it was nearly impossible. She followed him up the stairs and down the hall. They passed her room, the sister's rooms, then came to a small alcove off the main hall. He stepped aside and gestured to the keyhole. “Here we are, Mademoiselle. The door awaits.” Rose smiled at his smirk and put the key in the lock. She turned it and it unlocked. When Adrian nodded for her to continue she turned the handle and opened the door. Inside, several tables lined the walls and sat in the middle of the room. On them were all sorts of bits and pieces and parts for clockwork creatures and who knows what else. Rose stepped into the room. It smells of cinnamon, cloves, and wood mixed with a tantalizing musk. Adrian opened the curtains,  
“This is my workshop. All the clockwork servants and various music boxes are all built here,” he said, moving to lean against his main worktable. “Take a look around while I work.” He turned to sit and began work and Rose ran her fingers over every surface she could. The tactile sensations she got from feeling every little piece made her tingle mixed with the scents of the room.   
“You...make...all of these things?” she breathed.   
“Mmmhmm,” Adrian smirked a little at her as he placed jewels on pieces of metal lace.   
“This is incredible!...How do you breathe such life into them, its as if they have souls of their own inside those tiny clockwork hearts of theirs.”  
“That I'm not sure of...perhaps it's magic. But whatever it is, I am not God, I cannot breathe souls into anything,” Adrian said pointedly, but not looking up.  
“Where do you find all the parts for them? Is there a village nearby where you can send one of your sisters to get them?” she asked. He shook his head,   
“No. That wardrobe over there. It's magic. Put your hands on the handles and wish for something and whatever you wish for will appear inside. Try it.” Rose moved to the great wooden wardrobe and thought for a moment, studying it's intricate carvings. She placed her hands on the handles and closed her eyes, opening them again and looking at Adrian.  
“Do I have to say the wish out loud or something?” Adrian shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips,  
“No, that's not necessary, just think it in your head.” Rose nodded and turned back to the wardrobe. She closed her eyes once more and thought of what she wanted, then opened the doors. She pulled out a crystalline rose of the most unique colour changing Venetian glass either of them had ever seen.   
“How odd, it changes colours...” Adrian marveled at it. Rose laughed,  
“I couldn't decided what colour I wanted it to be or what I wanted it to be made out of...this is incredible. Completely beyond what I was thinking. That's amazing!” she said, turning the rose over and over in her hand and is continued to morph from one colour to the next. She set it on Adrian's work table and stared at it for what seemed like ages, before her eyes lifted from the rose to the man working on the other side of it. She gazed at him quietly for a few moments and he glanced at her. Seeing her eyes fixed on him, he lifted his head, “What?!”  
“I don't think you give yourself enough credit, Adrian...in anything you do!” she said matter-of-fact-ly, her gaze never wavering. He studied her a moment, then smiled and shook his head at her.  
“Stupid girl. You think the world is a bed of roses-You know nothing of what it's really like as you've been pampered and spoilt in your gilt palaces...” he hadn't really meant for all that to come out of his mouth, but hit had and it perturbed him.  
“I am not stupid. And I do know that there is evil in the world. But I will stand up for what I believe in and not take any of your criticism or condemnation for it! I will not take back what I said, for I truly believe it.” She stared at him a minute more as his scowl deepened. “You, sir, are a bully! You are not a monster, nor a beast. You are an artist who needs to learn that he has worth...” With those words she turned on her heel and left the room. She hadn't raised her voice, but the way she'd said it had truly left him speechless. In fact, he was dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open in surprise. How in the world could this woman be one way one moment, and turn around completely another in the next? He was either beginning to like her or he would find himself throwing her out, but he wasn't sure which it would be. He looked to the rose as it's colours shifted. Perhaps it was a mirror of how her moods waxed and waned, either way he was surprised that something such as that had come from the wardrobe and he marveled at it's untold magic again and again.

Rose had gone to the garden to clear her head. A light breeze was blowing and light pink petals from one of the many flowering trees danced on the breeze like little fairies floating to the earth. She picked up a whole flower that had fallen and tucked it behind her ear, before plucking a ripe golden pear and biting into it. It was sweet and juicy and she sat down to eat it on one of the stone benches that crested a hill overlooking a stair stepped section of the garden that wound down to one of the few small meadow clearings around the castle. The breeze took some of the fallen petals and sent them dancing out beyond the hill and into the lower gardens and she watched them, letting the peace and serenity of the place wash over her. Her slight upset at Adrian's unwillingness to see the worth and good within himself had waned and she tried to come up with ways to help him see the worth in himself. It would be difficult, for no ideas seemed to come as she sat there, but she would keep thinking and keep nudging him towards her new goal.   
From his workshop window, Adrian could see Rose out on the garden and he watched her. She seemed at ease there and he made him a little uncomfortable. Something about her was beginning to get under his skin. She saw things as they were, not as others saw them, or as illusions eclipsing the truth and it refreshed him and made him take notice of things as she saw them. His sisters were well at ease in her company, why couldn't he feel the same. Unknown to him, his two natures had been waging a great war for his soul and when RoséBelle had come into his life, the light, human nature had very slowly begun to get an upper hand. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	3. The Second Key & a Horrible Ending to a Nice Ride

There had been no requests from Adrian the next few days, and a relative peace and dare they say it, routine began to form. Breakfast was eaten together in the hall, then Rose usually went for a walk in the garden; sometimes she'd go alone, and other times Adrian would walk with her, usually falling into a companionable silence after a small conversation on this flower, or that fruit tree. While it wasn't yet normal for her, Rose was settling in very nicely. Adrian had asked the wardrobe for a large telescope that he had set up on the battlements where he and Rose often would go at twilight as the stars were just coming out. He'd learned many of the basic and most easily recognizable groupings of stars and he had begun enjoying their times up there alone with the night sky.  
Today wasn't any different and after breakfast instead of going to the garden, Rose had gone to the stables to look in on her small furry patient, the tiny injured fawn that had wandered into the garden a few days prior. It had limped straight to Adrian and unsure of what to do, Rose took it immediately to the stables and placed it in the stall next to Gypsy. She'd set to work setting and splinting it's leg and healing it as soon as she'd settled the baby girl in and Adrian had found himself smiling at how she'd cooed to it like it was a human baby. He was also surprised that the fawn wasn't scared of him or his claws. Rose had told him she was only a couple months, if not weeks old and had finally gotten it to nurse from a bottle. Even Gypsy seemed to take to the tiny creature and when it wasn't following Rose around like a puppy, it could be found cuddling with the velvety golden mare. Adrian turned from the stall door where he had been watching Rose with her patient.  
“You're going?” she said. He turned back to her, his eyebrows raised, surprised she'd even noticed him her attention had been so focused on the fawn  
“I didn't think you'd even noticed me. How's your tiny patient?” he asked, kneeling beside them and stroking the fawn's ears as it nuzzled his hand.   
“Very well, actually. I think her leg is almost healed. I should be able to take the splint off in a couple of days. She's walking and running very nicely now,” Rose replied. She set the fawn down from her lap and it pranced around, bucking and pouncing through the straw down the center aisle of the stables. Neither Rose nor Adrian could keep from laughing as it bleated at them to follow.  
“I suppose you're going to want to keep it now, eh?” Adrian said as it danced around Rose's skirts.  
“No, she needs to go back into the wild. I mean, I wouldn't mind if she stayed, but it would be much better for her to grow up wild, like she should be.” Rose's eyes took on a sad look and Adrian felt a twinge in his chest.   
“I agree. She'll thrive, though, wherever she ends up,” he reached for her hand and she let him take it. He pulled her to his side to walk with him in the garden, the fawn following them as she always did.   
“Tell me, what would cheer you up?” he asked. Rose thought for a moment.  
“Nothing,” she sad at last, “I have everything I need.” Adrian frowned. He dropped her hand and sat hard on a low stone wall.  
“That's not what I mean-I mean, I know you want your family back, and your home; but I think you could be happy here. What would it take to make you happy again? What are some things you used to do for fun? Think a little selfishly for once!”  
“Selfishly? I'm not even sure I know what that means...” Rose replied, sitting down across from him. He frowned at her again, a little perturbation showing round the edges of his mask. The fawn was nuzzling Adrian's knee and he scratched her behind the ears. “I suppose I'm usually drawn to music and art. I could always take those back up.”  
“Now we're getting somewhere. What else?”  
“Well, I do like to cook as well and my mother taught me about the best vintages of wine and mead and how to spice them. I could show Bianca if she'd like.” Rose looked around at the various plentiful fruit trees, “there's plenty of winter fruit to be used in pies and puddings here, I'll think I'll make one this afternoon.”  
“The fruits and berries here in the garden bloom all year round. It's part of the enchantment.” He fell silent for a moment. “Rose, you know it's not often we eat...er...regular food, or drink wine for that matter. We're Nightwalker. We...uh, eat meat and drink...” his voice trailed.  
“Blood. I know. And I understand. But it won't hurt you to try something different for a change. C'mon, let's go pick some of those fruits over there and I'll bake you some mince-meat pieces and spice some mulled wine for you,” she said rising and taking his hand to drag him with her.  
“But why?”  
“Because I want to, that's why. Is that selfish enough for you?” she answered with a toss of curls. Adrian let out a laugh and let himself be dragged to the fruit trees. They picked fruits and berries and pulled up herbs and spices from other areas of the garden until their cloaks were full. They carried them to the great kitchen and his sisters cleared the way for Rose to begin her cooking lessons. Even some of the tiny clockwork servants watched with eyes keen to learn everything about what she was doing.  
“May I make my request of you now?” Adrian asked as he sat watching her cut and chop the fruits and spices. His chin rested on stacked fists, his arms propped up on the edge of the great stone table where most of the food was usually prepared. She nodded, noting that he looked a bit like a schoolboy intently watching his teacher dissect a frog, not wishing to miss a single thing she did,  
“You may.”  
“Will you sing while you do...whatever it is you're doing?” he said, as she scraped the contents of the cutting board into the large copper pot simmering on the great metal stove. She nodded again, then began,  
“My young love said to me, my mother won't mind   
and my father won't slight you for your lack of kind.   
Then she stepped away from me and this she did say,   
It will not be long love, til our wedding day.   
She stepped away from me and she moved through the fair.   
And fondly I watched her move here and move there.   
And she went her way homeward with one star awake,   
as the swans in the evening move over the lake...”

Rose sang many songs that afternoon as she taught Adrian and his sisters how to properly spice the fruits and wines. They even shared a bottle of mead that had lain in the wine-cellar for a good many years. They shared their evening meal in front of the fire in the great hall, seated on furs for an indoor picnic.  
“Thank you for sharing you knowledge of cooking with us,” Bianca said as she licked crumbs from her fingers.   
“Aye, I've never known such delicious food before,” Illyria added. Adrian burped out loud and set the women giggling like fools. He frowned at them, but soon joined in. They all may or may not have had too much to drink that evening, but none of them seemed to mind until it was time to walk up the stairs to their rooms. They proceeded to take one step forward and three steps back, several times in a row and once managed to all come tumbling down the stairs landing in a pile at the foot there-of. Rose landed in Adrian's lap and for a brief moment something caught them both by surprise as they looked into each others' eyes. They finally managed to all get up the stairs and to their rooms to sleep off the rest of the mead's influence. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Rose came down to breakfast to find Adrian and Varitie half asleep and holding their heads, looking quite bedraggled, and the tray of keys sitting at her place.  
“I would say good morning...” Rose started. Adrian and Varitie groaned as Bianca carried in large cups of coffee which looked more like bowls instead of cups and Rose was grateful for it. She'd learned to hold her liquor with her two elder brothers and father and she didn't want to rub it in. Illyria shuffled down the stairs still in her nightdress and wrapper, curly hair all wild as if she'd been caught in a windstorm. Rose tried not to giggle as she sipped her coffee. No one said much until Adrian pushed the tray of keys a little closer to her.  
“You forgot to pick a key last night. You should do it now, I won't hold you responsible for any requests today...In any case, I don't think I could think straight enough to wrap my tongue around the words to even make one...” Adrian said, rubbing his temples as he watched Rose look over the tray of keys. She held her finger up and moved it around the tray trying to decide. Adrian cleared his throat and shook his head a little as she held her finger over first one key, then another until he nodded assent to an intricately carved brass key,   
“This one.” she said a little too loudly as Varitie, who had had her chin rested on her fists, slipped an elbow off the table and almost landed her face in her bowl of coffee. She caught herself with a pounding of the table before her chin hit the cup. Everyone groaned at the noise.   
“Varitie! Please!...” Adrian said, scowling, more-so at the splitting headache he had than over his sister. Rose waved her hand over the coffee bowls,   
“Drink up, I've added something to the coffee to put you back in your usual spirits,” she said. Adrian was the first to pick up his bowl and drain it. The sat there for a few more minutes before Adrian pushed back his chair with a slight smile.  
"Well now, Princess. Shall we find out what that key opens?" Adrian said offering his arm to her. She frowned a moment at his address of her, but it quickly melted into a smile and she nodded, taking his arm. They went up the stairs and down the hall to a door that was just beyond RoséBelle's bedroom and he took the key from her and opened the door. The room was dark but Rose could tell it was a little larger than her room down the hall, along the same size as Adrian's workshop, from which it sat across. Adrian moved to the far side of the room and pushed back the dark curtains with a flourish, bathing the room in light. The room was lovely, in shades of pink, gold, and white, much like her own room. It's furnishings were covered in light fabric dust covers and Adrian began removing them. There was a sitting area, a fireplace, a lovely painted pianoforte, and a little desk with easel and supplies for art in a small cabinet next to it. The large windows that Adrian had first uncovered where actually doors that led out onto a lovely terrace with steps leading up to her connecting balcony.   
"This is lovely! Did your sisters use this room when they were younger?" Adrian smiled at her reception of the room, but shook his head.   
"No, but my mother did when she was young. It's a parlor fit only for a princess and it's now completely yours. Use it however and whenever you see fit." he replied. Rose beamed and moved to inspect every little thing in the room. All of the fixture were in lovely shades of pink and gold and the furniture was upholstered in brocades and velvets in the same colours. Rose was so fascinated by everything she hardly noticed when Adrian left the room. Rose spent hours that day in her new parlor, looking through the vast selection of music in the cupboard, to the many varying supplies for painting and drawing, and playing a little on the pianoforte. Later that afternoon, Adrian came riding up to the terrace astride his great black steed and Gypsy alongside him.   
"Care to go riding, my lady?" he called to her. She laughed and set aside the music she was looking over and came down the stairs to him.   
"I would love to, My Lord," she replied, taking Gypsy's from him. The golden mare tossed her mane, anxious to start for she loved to gallop through the woodlands. Rose deftly swung up into her saddle and whispering to the horse, off she flew so quickly that Adrian had a hard time righting his direction and catching up to her. They raced through the forest, going neither knew where. It was enough that they were enjoying themselves as they splashed down first one side of the stream and up the other and back across in a zig-zag pattern until it began to grow dark. As they headed back Rose found it odd that there were few animals or birds in this part of the woods.  
“There's no reason for so few animals to be left around here. There's plenty of food, and if they cannot find it in the forest, I have seen them slip into the garden and snatch what they need, little thieves,” he chuckled darkly, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Rose smiled at him, and he had to look away. She was so beautiful and he was so...so...Suddenly, something moved in the trees and a flock of great black birds came screeching out of the trees towards them. Gypsy reared and screamed nearly unseating Rose. The golden mare's eyes were wild, her ears twitching backwards, hooves stamping the ground. Adrian sniffed the air, his hair standing on end; it smelled coppery, like animal blood. Something was not right.  
“Stay on your horse,” he admonished Rose as he dismounted, he handed her his horse's reins and walked a few paces away, the smell grew stronger, mixed with charred wood and burnt leather. Several yards off, far enough away that Rose wouldn't be able to see it, lay the charred remains of a great black wolf. A pale, rosy dove with a golden ribbon round it's neck lay next to it, it's neck snapped and visible fang marks dripping with blood clearly visible.   
“Let this be a warning, dark prince...” said a voice from nowhere. Adrian crouched, ready to pounce as he keen eyes searched the darkening woods around him. He knew the voice and he knew the warning. He would never willingly give Rose to that foul wizard and one way or another he would keep Ludovic from getting his hands on Rose. He would die first.  
“Adrian, what is it?!”  
“Stay there, Rose. Stay on your horse, we're going home!” he called back as he quickly came back to her and mounted behind her, spurring Gypsy on back towards home. He made sure Rose was safe inside with his sisters, then went back out to stable the horses. Dinner was silent that evening, and even his sisters knew something had happened to upset him out in those woods. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are beginning to get interesting aren't they! 
> 
> Don't forget to bookmark and comment!


	4. The Third Key, The Mistake, and The Surprise

A few days later Adrian sat at his workbench. He was tinkering with a small watch that he had rescued from Rose's home, Castlebarre Manor. It had stopped working and he wanted to fix it as a gift for her. The cover bore an inscription that read: To Jeffrey on our 30th wedding anniversary, Love always, Melodie. It must have come from Rose's mother. He had found it lying broken just under the corner of the desk in the upstairs drawing room where Rose had made the discovery of her family's massacre. It wasn't much, but it was something, something that he knew he could fix with his talent and the little bit of magic he possessed. He could hear Rose playing the pianoforte in her parlor, and he smiled as Bianca walked by humming the tune in her off-key manner. Bianca wasn't the most talented of his sisters, but what she lacked in talent she made up for in perseverance and hard work. His mind drifted from his sister's peculiarities to what had happened a few evenings before. It had been a clear threat, he knew that the moment he'd seen it. He could tell Rose had wanted to ask him about it, but his dark mood had warned her away from it. He hated to give her reason to fear him or feel like he was shutting himself off from her, and he hated himself for doing so. The music stopped and as he heard Rose's footsteps approach, he quickly covered the watch and put it in a drawer, pulling some other project in front of him and picking up where he had left off with it...if only he could remember exactly where that was again. Rose entered his workshop and brought with her the smell of rosewater. She casually ran her hand down the length of his workbench in front of him, absently watching him with his finite tools until she had come up behind him.   
“And what are you working on today?” she inquired, resting her chin on his shoulder, “Another clockwork ballerina?”   
“Don't you have enough of those?” he mused, his frown wavering. She squeezed his bicep and laughed.  
“Yes. I was going to scold you if you had said yes, for I do have enough of them and they are constantly trying to out-perform one another when Bianca winds them up to dance for us,” she replied, her voice musical in his ear. Her breath against his cheek sent tinglings down his spine and he had to consciously keep himself from turning to kiss her. “Besides, I'm much too old for those childish kinds of things.” He chuckled again,  
“You weren't when I gave them to you. And what do you call your little demonstration yesterday day in the gardens? Seemed pretty childish to me...” He teased. He was beginning to like getting a rise out of her.  
“You requested I do it, so I did. I was merely keeping up my end of the deal. Besides, what do you call that kind of request anyway...of all the things you could have asked me to do, you ask me to do the childish one, a cartwheel!” She stuck her tongue at him and gently pinched his arm.   
“True, it was my fault and I will completely take the blame for it. But wasn't the room you unlocked enough to make up for it?” he said, his tool slipping and gauging into his finger, “Blast!”  
“It was,” Rose said softly. Smiling , she took his bleeding finger in her hand and kissed it. As quickly as it had started bleeding it stopped again and no longer hurt as she wiped the residual blood away with her own handkerchief. She gazed at him, her eyes soft and he had to turn back to his work, to keep himself in control of the things in his head. Why did she make him feel like this. She didn't shudder at his claws, yet he still wasn't quite ready to-he felt her hand untie the ribbon of his mask and he grabbed it before it had a chance to reveal anything to her,  
“NO! How dare you! I trusted you!....Get out...Get out NOW!” he roared, turning on her and baring his teeth. Rose fell hard against a far work table as his arm swept both her and everything off his workbench onto the floor. The morphing rose was dashed into a thousand pieces, tinkling as they fell.   
“I just wanted to...”  
“You shouldn't have done that, you witch!”  
“I'm sorry-please...stop!”  
“I never should have brought you here. I knew you didn't belong here...” Adrian yelled at her, kicking boxes and sending tiny clockwork servants flying, a few barely missing Rose's head.   
“I-I....oh never mind!” she ran out of the room, blinded by tears. She grabbed a cloak and ran down the hall and the stairs and to the door as Illyria called after her, trying to find out what had caused the ruckus. “Promise or no promise, I can't stay here another minute, not when I'm not wanted here anymore.” The door slammed behind her and she fled out into snowy twilight.  
As soon as she left the room Adrian regretted everything he'd said. He shouldn't have flown off the handle the way he had, he should have caught himself. He hadn't lost his temper that way in a long time and it suddenly had him frightened at himself. He called down the hall, peering around the door-frame,  
“Belle...I'm sorry...Rose? RoséBelle?!” he called as he quickly moved down the corridor to her room. He looked inside to an empty room. “RoséBelle?! Where are you?!” he called again. Oh God, what had he done.   
“What have you done, Adrian?!” Illyria asked roughly, her eyes wide and her face covered in frantic panic. “What did you to do her? Why did she run off?!”  
“I-I don't now...I didn't mean to-I just- She tried to take off my mask and I panicked. I've got to go after her!” he said, he grabbed his gloves and threw on his fur cloak. The weather had turned much colder and Illyria too donned her own cloak and grabbed a fur for Rose as the snow began to swirl.   
“You'd better be thinking how you'll apologize to her if she'll even come back!” Illyria said, her voice raised a little above the wind that was beginning to blow. Adrian ignored her, he was already doing that as he called out Rose's name.   
Having run til she was exhausted, Rose sunk to her knees, trying to gain control over her sobbing. She'd not wanted to anger him, she'd only wanted to see his face without the mask. His appearance no longer mattered to her, she'd already grown fond of him and felt that he didn't need to hide from her any longer. Zephyr, who had followed her, nuzzled her arm and she started.  
“Oh, it's only you, Zephyr. You scared me,” he licked her tear streaked face. “I only wanted to see him, his face, not the stupid mask. I should have asked...” Rose buried her face in Zephyr's fur. He rested his head on her shoulder until he sensed they were not alone. A low growl started in his throat and he lifted his head from Rose's shoulder, staring through the falling snow to the bushes at the edge of the clearing. The moon shone on the snow and lit the area as Rose's eyes adjusted to the darkness. “Zephyr, what is it? What's wrong?!” The silver white wolf lowered himself and bared his teeth, moving to stand between the bushes and Rose. She tried to get up, but her wet cloak weighed her down and she turned to see a thorny black vine-like creature reach and take hold of her cloak and pull her towards the bushes. ”Zephyr!” she cried, trying to kicked it off her. It's red thorns tore her dress and scratched her leg, burning with a white hot heat as it's poison burned her skin and entered her blood. Zephyr snapped his jaws at the creature and flung it off her, only to have another two creatures grab at her hood and slowly pull her back down to the ground as more snaked their way towards her. Zephyr couldn't keep them off her and they were beginning to hurt him as well. A vine had suddenly found it's way around her neck, choking her and pulling her back towards the bushes. Others had wrapped themselves around her wrists and ankles and torso and were dragging her into the darkness, their hissing voices seeming to shout in victory. Suddenly they screamed as Adrian leapt into their midst and hacked them with his sword. When they pulled the sword out of his grasp, he used his bare hands to peel the poison thorns from Rose's body.   
“Rose! Can you hear me?! Stay with me, Darling, I'll get you back home. I promise, just stay with me!” She could hardly open her eyes, her voice was hoarse as the vines tightened around her neck,  
“Jus...leave...me...”  
“NO! You'll be fine, just stay awake, stay with me!” He tore violently at the vines clutching at her body as Illyria grabbed his sword and hacked at the vines around Zephyr. The thorns ripped Adrian's gloves from his hands and he cried out as they tore at his own skin. He finally managed to get most of the vines free of her and the ones that were left had been hacked from their bodies and were beginning to shrivel and die with tiny hissing screams. Adrian hugged Rose to his chest as he gathered her up into his arms and Illyria threw the fur around her before they flew back to the castle. Once inside Adrian took the stairs two at a time, barking orders at the clockwork servants and his sisters. He and Illyria peeled Rose's wet and tattered cloak from her and wrapped her in furs before laying her back in bed. “Please don't leave me, my little flower. Please stay,” Adrian murmured, nearly in tears as he smoothed the curls from Rose's forehead. He kissed her forehead as Illyria and her sisters worked to make poultices for her cuts and scratches and tea to combat the Thorn-Scratch Fever that was quickly setting in. The deep scratches didn't bleed, but they swelled into big red welts across Rose's neck, arms, chest, and legs. She was struggling to breathe. Adrian tried to use his feeble magic to heal her as she had done from him, but it was no use. His magic didn't work the way hers did and all he could do was say silent prayers as he tried to get her to drink the tea Varitie handed him. Illyria applied the poultices to Rose and Bianca to Adrian, but he shewed her away, focusing all his might on Rose, willing her to be well. Illyria finally pried him away from her, but only to the chair by the fire so that Bianca could finish with the poultices as Varitie kept spooning tea down Rose's throat. The princess sweat through her clothes and bed linens, clawing at the where the vines had wrapped so tightly that the thorns had pierced deeply the skin of her neck and wrists. She was deathly pale with purple rings around her eyes and her whimpers and moan broke Adrian's heart. He had let his temper explode on her and it had forced her to flee to the woods where the creatures had attacked. She might be dying and it was all his fault. When his sisters finally left, he crawled to the edge of her bed in tears. He took her burning hand in his and kissed it,  
“Please forgive me, Princess. I never meant to hurt you like this. My beautiful Rose. You have been so kind and loving to me...and I have hurt you, and for that I cannot forgive myself. Please don't leave me. Stay. Live, and I will do everything within my power to make amends to you in whatever way I can...I-I love you...” his tears overtook him and he fell asleep, clutching at her hand, his head next to hers. Neither had realized it until that very moment, but they'd fallen in love. They'd spent almost every waking moment together since Rose had chosen the key to the music box room. Rose's fever lasted three days and Adrian had spent it totally at her bedside, wishing and praying for her to wake up. He prayed that she heard his supplications both to her and to God and she did, only to her it felt like she were stuck in an intense heated fog far removed from everyone. She didn't realize that Adrian had saved her, or that she was even still alive, but she could always hear his voice calling to her. Sometimes it was a whisper, other times a call from far away, and other times still like a grieved wail. On the third day she slept peacefully, but deeply, dead to the world and herself. When she finally opened her eyes on the fourth day, the first thing she saw was Adrian sitting beside her on the edge of the bed. His eyes sparkled like glass from the tears that welled up in his eyes when she finally looked at him. He held her hand and tenderly kissed it as she smiled up at him.  
“You saved me again, My Lord. How am I to ever repay you?” His blue eyes met hers,  
“Just having you back alive is enough for me. I shall spend every day from now on making up to you the dishonour and disservice I did when my temper got the better of me. I should never have pushed you away like that...I almost lost you...”  
“Shhh,” Rose stroked his hair, “I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere.” With her finger she traced the line of his mask. “I have a request to make of you now,” she said.  
“Anything, Love, whatever you ask I will give it you,” he said, taking her other hand and kissing it.   
“Then, I ask that you remove your mask...please. Haven't we spent enough time together to warrant the riddance of any hindrance between us?” Adrian hung his head and sighed.  
“Aye...” he let go of her hands and pulled at the ribbon. Rose's fingers gingerly took hold of his mask and peeled it away as his hands covered hers.  
“There,” she set the mask aside and ran her hands down either side of his face, twisting her fingernails in his beard with a tender smile. “You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen,” she whispered. Adrian suddenly tucked his chin against his chest with a bashful smile and Rose laughed.   
“I am a beast, and you know that...” he said quietly.  
“Not any more. You are a prince among men who has yet to master control of his temper, that's all....Come here...” Gently Rose lifted his chin and pulled him down to her, tenderly brushing her lips against his. Her fingers entwined themselves in his hair as he pulled back a little and gazed at the tenderness in her eyes. He didn't resist when she pulled him into another kiss, nor did she shudder at his scars and deformities. Her lips were so soft against his and she tasted sweet like sun-drenched strawberries. It was almost too much for him to take in and he cried. His tears burned his skin, and unnoticed to them at the moment, they left smooth baby-soft and completely unblemished skin in their wake. Rose pulled him down to rest his head against her neck and shoulder as his arms wrapped around her. Rose gently caressed his back as she let him cry, resting her check against his. Illyria started to enter with tea, but quietly backed out when she saw the scene. She smiled knowingly and her heart was light as she closed the door silently behind her. She smiled broadly at the thought that the beauty had finally tamed the beast.  
Adrian had never believed a woman could be capable of having these kinds of feelings for him in his state of derision and it was like a great burden was lifted from his heart as she kissed him again and again. He held her tightly to his chest and thought to never let her go. It was only when she started to cough again that he let her go, called for Illyria and made sure she was well again before he started to leave. Rose stopped him,  
“Please...stay...I-I need you here. I'm afraid that if I close my eyes again, you'll be gone and I'll be there with those creatures again,” she said, shuddering at the thought. His heart melted and he quickly returned to her side, getting into bed next to her and gathering her to his chest again.   
“I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, I promise,” he smoothed her hair and she rested her cheek over his heart, clutching at him as he wrapped his arms around her. She fell asleep almost instantly in his warm embrace. He kissed her hair and gently twisted a curl around his finger. For the first time in a very long time he was happy and so very much in love with this angel in his arms.   
Rose woke the next morning feeling much more like her old self. Adrian was still asleep, carefully she lifted her head to kiss him softly on the lips, her nose nuzzling his. He slowly opened his eyes,  
“Mmmm...I thought it was all a dream,” he said stretching a little, then wrapping his arms back around her again as she turned into him, “I'm glad it wasn't.” he smiled as he brushed her lips with his.  
“So am I,” she whispered before kissing him a little deeper. His fingers laced themselves with her curls as he cradled her head. Rose seemed to melt into his arms until he pulled away. He smiled at her like he never had before.  
“Wait here. I'll be right back,” he said, hurrying to get up. He dropped one last kiss on her lips and hurried out the door. Adrian met his sisters in the hall carrying a tray for Rose. He kissed each of them on the cheek and hurried on to the bedroom where the magic wardrobe resided.  
“What in the world has got into him?!” Bianca asked in wonderment as they three entered Rose's room. Illyria caught her eye and nodded toward Rose who was just sitting up in bed and looked much better then she had before. Bianca squinted a little, still confused. Varitie leaned over and whispered,  
“We'll tell you later.” Bianca's eyes grew wide and Varitie elbowed her gently. She recovered and the three saw to Rose's needs.   
“You're colour looks much better this morning, Dear,” Illyria said, setting the tray over Rose's lap and feeling her cheeks with the fingers. “Much better indeed.”  
“She looks far more beautiful than she has since she came here,” Adrian said softly, holding something in his arms. “Varitie, will you help me a moment?” He indicated the bundle in his arms and Varitie rose to help him. In a swish of fabric, Adrian and Varitie held between them a breathtakingly beautiful golden ballgown dotted with gems and reddish-pink roses. It was by far the most beautiful gown Rose had ever laid eyes on and she almost wanted to cry.   
“It's unbelievably beautiful. Everything I love wrapped into one amazing gown. I used to dream about the gown I would wear to my first coronation ball and that is exactly what I pictured. How in the world did you know?” Rose breathed, hardly able to believe her eyes.  
“I just asked the wardrobe what you would like and here it is,” he smiled broadly, proud of himself for his genius. He handed the gown over to Varitie and kneeled by Rose's bed. “Today's request is this: Would you do me the great honour of letting me escort you to the ball tonight?” Even his sister were in awe.  
“A ball? Where?” Rose questioned.   
“Yes. In a fairy village not far from here. We'd be celebrating your recovery and the season,” Adrian said, taking her hand and kissing it.  
“Oh Adrian, you don't have to do that. Please don't fuss over me,” she said, caressing his cheek. Bianca had just noticed that he no longer wore his mask, he kissed Rose's hand and let her touch his face. She was beginning to put the pieces all together now. Cold and stern Adrian had fallen in love.   
“I want to. I need to. Please let me do this for you, it's the least I can do to try and make up for-”  
“You don't have to make up anything to me,” she said raising his chin, “But a ball would be quite lovely as I've never been to one. Yes, you may escort me tonight.”  
“And you'll wear the gown?”  
“Yes, Adrian, of course I'll wear it, it's the most beautiful thing you've ever given me besides taking off your mask.” Rose's words melted him and he held her hand to his lips.  
“You've made me so very happy,” he whispered. He lifted his head, “I'll see to the arrangements right now. Illyria, Varitie, I'll need you to see that the servants arrange for the carriage and the invitation is returned in the affirmative. Bianca, see that Belle has whatever she needs.” With that he practically sprinted from the room and his sisters had to hurry to keep up.   
Adrian saw that everything was made ready for their trip to seasonal ball in the glenn. The fairy lenn was not far from the castle through a cave, a cave that led to a hollow in the mountain where all forms of magical creatures lived, and to this place was where he would take his beloved. When all was ready, he sent Varitie and Bianca to tend to Rose and took council with Illyria in his own chambers in the West Wing. Dressed in a coat of blue velvet embroidered with golden scroll work and a golden vest, the exact fabric of Rose's gown, Adrian leaned against the bedpost.  
“Do you really think she's the one, Illyria, the one mother said would set me free from my intolerable animal-like prison? The one who will make this thing work?” he said, pointing to the rose music box.  
“It doesn't matter what I think. It matters what you think. You are the only one who can make that happen....” she studied his face. “Do you love her?”  
“I...I do,” he said, removing the shroud from the table and laid it aside. “I think I shall give it to her as a present tonight, is it not near Christmas?”  
“Aye, that it is. She is well deserving of it, brother. Both your love and the music box. I am happy for both of you,” Illyria said, taking her brother's hand. He kissed her forehead as Bianca knocked on the door.   
“She is waiting, brother,” she said. Illyria straightened Adrian's cravat and sent him on his way.   
Rose could barely keep herself from trembling. The gown was lovely, it fit perfectly and the simple diamonds from her mother's jewelry box were the perfect accessory. There was a knock at the door and Varitie opened it to reveal Adrian looking as dashing as she could have ever imagined him. His eyes sparkled as he took in her lovely form.   
“You look like a queen, my dear,” he said, extending his hand to her. All she could do was nod and take his hand.   
“And you look like a king. A new mask?” she asked, her voice timid. He nodded and brought his other hand around from behind him. In it was a matching golden mask for Rose.   
“To match yours, of course,” she smiled and let him put it on for her. He could feel she was nervous, but what did she have to be nervous about. He was the one who should be nervous. He helped her tie on the mask, then kissed her neck and taking her hand, linked it with his as they went down to the portico where their carriage awaited. Illyria handed Adrian a sumptuous velvet cloak trimmed in fur which he wrapped around Rose, fastening it at her throat with a ruby clasp. He handed her up into the deep cherry and golden carriage and waited for his sisters to join them inside.  
“Have a good time, Brother, and take care of her, she is a most precious treasure.”  
“You're not coming?!” Belle asked. Illyria smiled kindly and shook her head.  
“No, this is your special time. Go and have fun. Dance and enjoy yourselves and forget about us for a night,” she said as she closed the carriage door. Belle reached for her hand and squeezed it as the carriage began to pull away from the castle. Their path seemed to be illuminated by some kind of magic as the horses galloped through the forest. They passed through the cave and the whole world seemed to dissolve into a fairyland of glowing and brightly coloured plants and flowers. Tiny pixies and fairies flitted around the carriage as it pulled up to a castle that seemed to be made of nothing but venetian glass, mirrors, gold, silver, and jewels. She could hardly breathe as Adrian helped her out of the carriage and they walked arm and arm into the castle. As they emerged onto the landing of the ballroom staircase, all of those gathered stopped and stared at the beautiful couple. They descended down the stairs to whispers from everyone in attendance and when they reached the middle of the dance floor, it was as if the music had waited for them to arrive before it began. Rose and Adrian almost lost all knowledge of what was going on around them as they danced, swirling around amoung the couples in their variegated costumes of the most sumptuous materials. Adrian couldn't keep from smiling and Rose blushed hard every time his eyes sparkled at her. The golden mask brought out his clear blue eyes and she was mesmerized by them. She was introduced as a princess from a far away land and there were many whispers about her beauty, grace, and charm and the fact that she'd arrived on the lost prince's arm. They'd never thought that they could entice him to join them, but it was clear that whoever this woman was, that she had some strange hold over him and he laughed and smiled as if he'd never known a day of sorrow in his life. The time flew by and neither Rose nor Adrian realized it was going on midnight as they walked out onto the balcony of the ballroom.  
“Adrian, this has been so wonderful. Thank you for this perfect gift,” Rose said leaning her head against his shoulder. His arms went around her waist and she nestled into his tender hold.   
“I'm glad you liked it. You couldn't look more beautiful if you were covered in gems,” Adrian said, kissing the top of her head. Rose lifted her face to his and he kissed her gently. He took off her mask and ran his finger along her cheek bone. She in turn took his off and set it on the stone parapet. He leaned down and kissed her a little deeper, his arms snaking around her waist and up her back as he pulled her against his body. Rose inhaled his scent, cinnamon, cloves, and an intoxicating musk that nearly made her swoon in his arms. She pulled away gently,  
“We shouldn't do this here, darling. Someone might see....” Rose whispered as Adrian nuzzled her forehead with his nose, then kissed it gently.  
“Who would dare speak of it. And who would they tell? The stars?,” he looked up as a shooting star passed overhead, “They've seen us already and will remain in their silent vigil.” He hugged her to him and they both gazed up at the stars.   
“And I suppose you want to take credit for the clear night to see them by as well?” Rose laughed. Adrian chuckled back at her,  
“That was God's doing, not mine. Even He could not deny your beauty this night.”  
“Oh stop it, Adrian. I think I've had enough flattery for one night, thank you very much,” she said, gently poking him in the arm. He chuckled again and kissed her temple.  
“Very well then. Come, we should get back to your ball,” he said, handing her back her mask.  
“Let's dispense with the masks too, might we?” she said. He nodded and as they re-entered the ballroom he pocketed their masks. Rose was introduced to the King and Queen of the Fairies and they thanked Adrian for bringing her to the welcoming of the winter solstice. As the guests began to filter out and the many candles and fairy lights were dimmed, Rose yawned and Adrian took her hand and they ascended the stairs and put on their cloaks before boarding their carriage back home. Rose fell asleep on the way home and Adrian had to carry her back to her room. She awoke as they arrived and Adrian opened the door for her, sneaking a kiss from him. She kissed him so lovingly and with such desire he almost fell back into the door-jam. Rose didn't want to pull away, but she knew she had to.   
“Thank you again for a wonderful evening,” she whispered, their noses touching.  
“Belle...”  
“I know....”  
“No, you don't,” he whispered, his eyes closed as their faces rested against each other, “You don't know how sorry I am for what I did to you-” Rose cut him off.  
“You did nothing to me. You panicked, I panicked, it happens. You're not at fault for what the thorn creatures did to me. You asked me to forgive you as you sat at my bedside and I did. You asked God to let me live and He did. What happened is in the past, and that is where it's best left,” she caressed his cheek with her hand and kissed him again lightly. “Now go, get some rest. Tonight was wonderful time I've ever had.” Rose pulled his hands from around her waist and entered her room. Adrian continued to lean against the door-frame as she closed the door. Illyria came down the hall, humming, carrying their cloaks.   
“Adrian...are you trying to spy on Rose?” she asked, trying to hide her smile.   
“No, I-uh. I just told her goodnight,” he sighed, smiling. “Tonight was wonderful, Illyria. I really wish you Varitie and Bianca had been there to see how she was welcomed as one of the fairy court,” he sighed. Suddenly he straightened and snapped his fingers, “I almost forgot about the music box!” He didn't wait for Illyria to say anything, he ran back to his room and uncovered the crystalline rose and carried it gingerly back to Rose's door. He knocked with his foot and Illyria opened the door, “May I come in?”  
“Of course, you may,” Rose answered, turning from the vanity to see him carrying in his prized handicraft. “What on earth?!” she breathed.  
“I've been waiting for the right time to give this to you, and I think now's that time,” he set it on her vanity table, “turn the key.” Adrian's breath caught in his throat as the crystalline rose underneath the bell dome began to turn and open slowly as the gilt vines around it's base grew up the side of the glass, but no music came from it.   
“But there's no tune for it?” Rose asked, her eyes never leaving the astounding creation.  
“Not yet. I thought you could come up with something suitable for it,” He sat on the vanity bench watching her watch the rose. “I made it when I was very young. It was my best work, but it wouldn't turn for me. My mother said that the magic of the crystals that make up the rose may have kept it from working until the right person came along. She was right...” he breathed, his face showing relief and hope that he'd not felt in a long time. Illyria and Varitie stood at the door, tears in their eyes as they backed out of the room. “Joyeaux Noelle, ma Belle,” Adrian said. Rose flung her arms around his neck and practically fell into his lap as she covered his face in kisses. Suddenly she stopped,  
“But I have nothing for you...” she said, frowning. He touched the end of her nose with his fingertip,  
“Just having you alive and in my arms is enough for me. You've given me the best present I could ever receive.” She kissed him again and again, each time her lips lingered against his. She drew him up and into her arms and pulled him towards the bed.  
“Belle, no...”  
“Stay with me while I fall asleep, just so I'll know that all this wasn't a dream. That's all I want.” she said, pleading in her eyes. He smiled softly and nodded. He put her to bed and sat with her until she was asleep. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't forget to bookmark and comment if you're enjoy this. I want to hear your feedback so I know if I should publish this in the fairytale collection I'm working on. Thanks!


	5. Sadness and Reverie

Adrian was sitting in his workshop, studying the mechanism for his latest music box when Rose came running in.  
“Adrian, come quick. Feline is gone!”  
“Calm, down, Darling. I'm sure she's just running round the garden somewhere, or perhaps with Gypsy or Zephyr playing,” he said, trying to calm her.  
“No! I've looked everywhere. Gypsy's in her stall about to go mad and even Zephyr can't seem to find a scent.”  
“Belle, are you sure she hasn't just decided to go back to the wild. It's been several months and we've tried to get her to go twice. Maybe she finally decided it was time to go,” Adrian said, placing his hands on her shoulders. “I know you loved her, but I think it's time to say goodbye...” Rose pushed him away, tears in her eyes,  
“No, she'd never just leave like that, she'd made this her home...Come with me if you don't believe me!” Rose said, turning and running for the stables. Adrian ran to follow her, coming up to Feline's stall just as she did. Gypsy was indeed stamping up and down her stall next door, nickering and shaking her head, trying to pull the latch free herself. “Now do you believe me?!” Rose said, turning on Adrian. He had to admit, the latch looked like it had been broken and Zephyr was sniffing all around the stall, trying to find some sort of scent. He frowned.  
“Let Gypsy go, maybe she can find something Zephyr cannot.” Adrian led his own horse from the stall as Rose released Gypsy. The golden mare took off through the garden, Zephyr at her heels. Adrian scooped Rose up onto his horse and they followed at a gallop. Not far from edge of the garden, they saw Gypsy stop and something akin to a scream reached their ears. Adrian pulled up and stopped the horse.   
“Stay here, Rose.”  
“But-”  
“I said stay here,” he said more harshly. She was stunned into silence, but as he turned, she dismounted and followed him at a distance. The snow had already made a blanket on almost everything and as Adrian reached the horse, Rose could see something on the ground. She saw Gypsy lift her head, bright red blotching her muzzle.  
“No!” she breathed, and raced towards them. Adrian turned just in time to catch her, but not before she had seen what lay just beyond him. Feline was dead, lying in a pool of her own blood and Rose let out a heart-wrenching sob. “No! No! I couldn't save her...I was too late...I couldn't save her, just like I couldn't save them...” she cried, collapsing in Adrian's arms.   
“Rose, please. You couldn't have known...”  
“I couldn't save her like I couldn't save them...” she repeated. Adrian couldn't bear to hear her words or see her cry. He shook her.  
“Stop it! Do you hear me, Rose?! Stop it this instant. This is not your fault. You didn't know. Just like you didn't know then. Nothing is your fault. I don't want to hear you say another word about it again, do you hear me?!” he said. His voice was harsh and his grip on her arms was beginning to hurt. She stared at him wide-eyed, and his anger slackened. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken so harshly to you. Let's get you back inside, it's getting cold and you've no cloak. I'll come back and bury her in the garden by the stables, alright?” A single tear slipped down her cheek as she looked down at the ground, afraid to meet his eyes. He stopped and took her in his arms, “My poor darling. You've had far too much loss in your young life. I wish I could have kept you from it, I tried to with Feline, but you would see...”  
“I'm sorry. I should have listened...” she said, her voice small and defeated, still not daring to look him in the eye. He pressed a kiss to her cheek where the tear had fallen.   
“We'll bury her together, shall we?” Rose bit her lip, trying not to cry again. All she could do was nod. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to his side as they turned and walked back to the castle. His horse followed them, Gypsy trailing behind him, hanging her head in sadness. Zephyr stayed behind like a sentinel to watch over the tiny body of his dear little friend.   
True to his word, Adrian fetched Feline's body and dug a grave for her beside the stable. Rose picked a bouquet of flowers and used her powers to create a vine sculpture of a prancing fawn at the head of the mound. She sat there in silence for a few moments, then moved to the part of the garden off her room where Adrian had moved the statue of her mother from her old garden at Castlebarre Manor. Adrian stayed a few yards from her, but remained with her, letting her have time alone to her own thoughts. When she was ready, she returned to his side, leaning her head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and they stayed like that for a long time before Rose said anything.  
“Thank you for burying her for me. I just wish her life hadn't ended like that. She should have grown up wild and free,” she said softly as snow began to fall.  
“Aye, she should.”  
“Oh that we could be wild and free...Adrian, can we not be? Can we not leave this place and go far away where no one knows us, or knows our past. Where we can live alone together, never having to form to convention or duty. I wish that...oh nevermind...”  
“What do you wish, My Sweet?” Adrian asked softly, running the backs of his fingers across her cheek. Rose turned towards the garden pool and went to sit at it's edge, looking down into the water.  
“I wish that I could be like you. Wild and beautiful...”  
“I don't understand...” he said, following her.  
“How can you, you hate your appearance. I adore it, I wish I could be as animalistic as you...” she waved her hand and her reflection in the water changed. It took on animal-like features much like his, with fangs and horns and thick lustrous curls. When Adrian looked from the reflection to the woman he was shocked to see her features did indeed look like that vision in the water. She was a creature like he was. “I know it's only an illusion, but I dreamed that I was like you once and you loved me like as creatures love and we never had to leave this place, or change or do anything other than what we wanted to do and be...”  
“Why would you want to be hideous? You are the most beautiful creature I've ever seen when in your own skin and I would not have you look like this in any way. Please stop this...” he pleaded with her. As quickly as they appeared, they dissolved back into her own face and he breathed a sigh of relief. “Please don't ever wish to be anything other than what you are. I could love you no other way than the way you are now, my beloved Belle,” he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her softly, before hugging her to his chest. They were silent for what seemed like hours. “I once dreamed that you asked me to make you like me. That you asked me to turn you into a NightWalker. Only when I did, I killed you instead. That nightmare has haunted me ever since. It nearly broke me...”  
“Oh Adrian, I'm sorry, I didn't realize...Was that when you wouldn't let me touch you for nearly a week?” Adrian nodded. “Oh my sweet darling, I know that you would never intentionally hurt me. I trust you more than I trust my own self sometimes. Let's forget that we ever spoke of this. Right now I need your kisses and your arms around me...” she lifted her head and kissed him tenderly and he let himself kiss her back. Her lips were so intoxicating to him, but he knew he must stop or else his passion for her would win over good conscience.   
“Come, let's go back inside,” he said when he finally broke from their kiss. Rose nodded and leaned against his arm as they made their way back inside. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rose put down her book to discover that Adrian had fallen asleep on the sofa across from her. The enormous chandeliers threw a somewhat magical glow on his features and to her he was the most beautiful man she has ever laid eyes on. She was glad that he had honoured her request to take the mask off. He was far more handsome without it, despite what he thought of himself. She could see his eyes better and the way the corners would crinkle when he gave her one of his rare smiles. The kiss they'd shared that evening, and the numerous since then had been so perfect and she could imagine how disappointing they might have been if his mask had remained. Rose smiled to herself as she looked at him, he must have fallen asleep while watching her read as he often liked to do. She couldn't resist the urge to stroke his face, sweeping aside the stray hair that fell across his brow. She bent down and lightly kissed his forehead, she paused, the kissed his lips, his beard tickling her cheek. He awoke with a start, grabbing her by the shoulders and sitting up so suddenly that it nearly knocked Rose back off her feet. He moved so that their faces were only a breath away from each other. Their eyes locked and Rose could scarcely breathe.  
“I'm sorry, I didn't meant to startle you...” she murmured, her fingers smoothing back a stray lock of hair from him forehead.  
“Forgive me, it was my dream..” he murmured a reply.   
“Another nightmare?” Adrian nodded, his heart racing as Rose placed a hand on his chest. He relaxed his grip, their faces still only a hairs-breadth from each other, and slowly and gently cradled her head in his hands, tilting it up slightly. He could almost hear the rhythm with which her heart beat in step with his. He let his lips softly brush hers like they had at their first kiss. Rose's fingers curled around his shirt and she closed her eyes as she pressed against him almost pleadingly, letting him pull her into a most passionate kiss. Every time they kissed, Adrian felt deep stirrings within him. Since RoséBelle had come along he'd known more human contact than he ever had in his many year and every fiber of his being tingled with the trembling excitement of her body against his. Yes, he'd held her before, but this time was different. Something inside them both tore loose and it was all they could do to keep from losing all control right then and there. Rose's arms instinctively went around him and she clung to him eagerly, craving his kiss, deepening her kisses and the sensation of her frame in his strong embrace. Suddenly Rose pulled away and Adrian questioned her with his eyes.  
“Come with me,” she whispered taking his hand and pulling him up. He barely dared to guess, but he was fairly certain what she was hinting at and deftly swept her off her feet and took her to her room. He locked the door behind them. Rose pulled him to her and kissed him again, softly at first, then more vigorously, running her fingers through his hair and with the other pulled the tie loose from her dress. She traced the scars of his face, down his neck with her fingertips, down to his chest. Adrian pushed her dress off her shoulders revealing the creamy skin from her neck down to the tops and divot of her decolletage. As he kissed down the silky skin of her neck,  
“My Belle...Are you sure you want this?” he whispered, lips pressed just below her ear.  
“More than I've ever wanted you before,” she breathed, pulling at the tie on his shirt til it fell open. She grabbed the shirttails and lifted it, Adrian slipping it off quickly, before he resumed his exploration of her neck and shoulder, helping her out of her dress til she was standing in only her corset. The feel of her body, her skin against his was more than his senses could contain. Despite his past, his looks, and everything he'd ever done, it was somehow cleansing to be in the arms of the purest woman he's ever encountered. His angel. She wanted him, she wanted this, and it made him feel more alive than he ever had before. Rose pulled him down until he was on top of her on the bed. Adrian's hands roamed her body. She tasted so sweet to him. She kissed his scars as if they weren't there, letting her fingers caress every part of his torso down to his breeches. Despite the scars, symbols, and inked images, his body was in perfect shape. Well muscled and firm. He couldn't be sure, but since this angel in his arms had come along it seemed that some of his animal-like attributes were beginning to disappear or become more human, though his curved horns still graced the top of his head like a crown. But none of that mattered to RoséBelle or Adrian at that moment. It was as if their souls had suddenly become one and they knew then and there that they were destined to be together, no matter what others might say; they wanted to be together more than anything else in the world.  
The next morning RoséBelle woke to the warmth of Adrian's body in bed next to her, his right arm resting across her body, the fingers of his left hand entwined in her curls. He sighed in his sleep, a slight smile on his lips. Rose smiled too as she brushed his cheek with her finger and he stirred awake, catching her hand in his. Adrian kissed her fingers and rolled over to gaze into her eyes.  
“Sweet princess, never in my life have I known the touch of a woman...until now. You've made me feel brand new, Mon Petite Rose,” he whispered against her fingers before kissing her cheek.   
“And I've never known the touch of a man, my prince. Never have I wanted a man like I want you, like I had you and you had me last night” she replied softly. She turned into him and rested her cheek against his chest, her forehead against his neck.  
“Are you happy, My Love?...Happy here, with me?” he asked wrapping his free arm around her waist.  
“Of course I am. Most happy indeed...only...”  
“Only what?” He moved so that he could see her face clearly, but she rose stand at her balcony window, naught but a thin sheet draped about her hips. Adrian rose and moved slowly to her.  
“I'm very happy here. This is my home now...only, I'm finding it harder and harder to remember my parents, my brothers and sisters, memories of my childhood...” Adrian's hands snaked around her waist and she turned into his arms, resting her forehead against his shoulder. He kissed her curls and sighed as she leaned into him.  
“What can I do to help you with that? You know I would do anything for you, don't you...” he whispered, inhaling deeply her sweet scent.  
“Would it be too much to take me to visit...that place...Do you know, my birthday is next week, I want to pay my respects to my family, even though I know they're no longer there...you and your sisters are all the family I have now, and all I need. You, Adrian, mean more to me than anything else in the world.” He felt a tugging in his chest.  
“I will take you this evening,” he sighed happily and held her pressed to his body. “Rose, how can I put my feelings for you into words. Music could not even begin to tell...You’ve awakened something in me I long thought was dead. The trust you put in me humbles me and makes me want to be a better man for it, and for you. Then there’s the way you give yourself to me, body and soul, so freely and without reserve...I do not deserve something so precious. The care I’ve come to know for you has broken me and built me back up again. You’ve stripped me of my masque, my armour, and have brought light into the deepest, darkest parts of my soul and I will be forever grateful to you for it,” he said softly, his thumbs gently caressing the back and her shoulder as his arms rested around her. She sighed contentedly,  
“Thank you, Darling...You too have awakened something in me, Adrian. You’ve opened my heart to feel things I’ve never experienced before, to feel things I never knew could be so wonderful. Maybe I’ve brought back the human in you, but you’ve brought out a carnal, animalistic fire that I can’t seem to squelch, nor do I want to. You make me feel alive, unlike anything I’ve ever known, and I never want to go back to the way I was. Even when you first would have very little to do with me, I desired to know you better. In truth, I desired you then, I still do; I crave your touch and I always will. There will never be anyone else for me but you, ever.” Rose raised her face to his and kissed him gently on the jaw, his beard prickling her lips. He had only to turn his head and capture her lips to have her melting in his arms again, that white hot heat stirring between them. He gently picked her up and carried her back to bed to lie with her in ecstasy again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I admit, I took out the explicit sex scenes in this chapter because I thought it would detract from the sweetness of the story. Hope that was the right call. 
> 
> As always, please bookmark and comment if you're enjoying the story!   
> Cheers!


	6. The Surprise and the Pond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this one was just too funny not to write, so it's a short chapter.

“No more requests,” Adrian said as they sat at the table after an early luncheon meal. He pushed his chair back as clockwork servants, a stout little teapot and tall grandfather clock, cleared the table.  
“Really? And why is that?” Rose questioned as she followed him to the window.  
“To be completely honest, I can't think of any more requests to make of you, and frankly I'm beginning to think the whole idea childish. There are three keys left and you may choose one each morning, but I shan't ask you to do any sort of task or demonstration like I have before. I feel it demands too much of you, so instead I will show you the final four keys each day. Today we shall unlock this one,” he said handing her a plain pewter key. She took it and followed him to the door it unlocked. “Be my guest,” he said, gesturing to the door-lock as he leaned against the wall. A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. RoséBelle put the key in the lock and turned it. She looked to Adrian. “Well, don't just stand there, open it!” he said, a smile tinging his words. Rose took a deep breath and opened the door. Her expression went from excited to thoroughly unamused,  
“It's a closet...” she said flatly, raising an eyebrow at him. She caught the little glint of merriment in Adrian's eye and glared at him, “You're mocking me, aren't you?” Adrian burst out laughing, a lovely bubbly sound she'd never heard come from him before. She just stood there and stared at him, expressionless, and when he stopped laughing long enough to look back at her, he broke out into giggles again.  
“Oh if you could but see your face!” he cried, holding his middle. Rose couldn't help but join him. “I'm sorry...it was only a joke...it's just you seemed so excited to pick the keys that I just couldn't help myself.”  
“You are positively rotten!” Rose laughed, shaking her head at him. He stepped to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her into the air and twirling her around.  
“It's so wonderful to be able to laugh again, My Darling. Thank you for allowing me this one little joke,” he said, finally setting her down.  
“I bloody well didn't have a choice. But I forgive you,” she replied, lifting up to kiss the end of his nose. He leaned his forehead against hers and their noses touched, rubbing against each others in what some called an Eskimo kiss.   
“Well, I'm glad, because I have a surprise for you, two surprises to be exact. One's just down here,” he said, taking her back downstairs to the main hall and over to a little curtained alcove. He handed her a beautifully intricate silver key. “I promise you'll like this one much better, but you have to close your eyes for it, alright?” She gave him a skeptical look,  
“If this is another joke, I swear I shan't speak to you for a whole month!” Rose warned.   
“I promise, cross my heart,” he replied, making the sign. “Now, close your eyes, and no peeking.” She did as he requested and he waved a hand in front of her eyes. When he was satisfied she couldn't see anything, he opened the door and led her in by her hands. “Now stand here a moment and no peeking.”   
“I'm not peeking, I promise!” Rose assured him. He nodded and went to the great curtained windows and drew them back, letting light flood into the room. Across the room he adjusted a mirror and suddenly the entire hall was lit with sunlight. “May I open them now?”  
“Just a minute,” he said, coming back to stand beside her, leading her a little further into the room before stepping behind her, his hands on her shoulders and whispering into her ear, “Alright, open your eyes.” Rose did and when she saw what was before her, she gasped, unable to speak. She staggeringly took a few small steps further into the great library and turned all about to see that every wall was lined with books. Some windows even had bookshelves crossing them as well, and then there were shelves and shelves of more books, some even scattered in piles around the bases of the shelves because there was no more room for them anywhere else. Adrian smiled as he watched her take it all in.  
“I've never seen so many books in my whole life, not even in the great library archive of the royal palace! How could anyone hope to read them all in one lifetime?!”  
“You like it?”  
“Oh Adrian...it's so very wonderful! Where are the books on science? We should get started on the star charts as soon as possible!” she said. Adrian took her hand and led her to one of the upper levels. “Here we are. I'm not sure if they're in any order, it's been a long time since I've been in here.”  
“Did you collect all these books, or your mother, maybe?” she asked, scanning the shelves as Adrian looked through the stacks on the tables and floors.   
“My great great grandfather started collecting them and he passed them down to his son, and his son, and then to my mother who passed the love of them on to me and my sisters. Bianca was livid that I wouldn't unlock the library until today. She's been dying to exchange the books in her room ever since you came,” he remarked.  
“Well, I can't blame her, really. I don't know what I'd do if I was kept from a library full of books,” she said, smirking at Adrian. He grinned back at her,  
“It's a good thing you have such a large library now isn't it!” he retorted, playfully.  
“Aye, that it is...”   
They spent four hours gathering books and charts to take up to the roof with them that evening before Adrian pulled her away from the shelves.  
“You've had one surprise, now it's time for your second. Shall we?” he asked, holding an arm out to her.  
“Yes, lets!” she answered. He took her hand and led her upstairs to the northern side of the West wing where Rose's bedroom and her parlor were located. The terrace that wrapped around that part of the castle stepped down in the area of the garden where there was a long large pool where the swans often swam. Just to one side, was a small alcove, one that Rose had never noticed before. There was a gate at the end of it and beyond that, completely surrounded by tall, thick rose bushes was a glass garden house with a gazing pool in the middle of it. It was almost the size of her whole bedroom and it was furnished just as her bedroom was, in shades of gold and light pink. Around the domed ceiling above the gazing pool were golden cherubs riding on the backs of swans and deer. The garden house was shaped like a flower, six rounded “rooms” around the clear pool. Each room was slightly different, one being the entrance, and the others accommodating relaxation and rest. In of those rooms was laid out on pillows, a picnic fit for a king,  
“And here is your second surprise. The servants helped me clean out this garden house for your use. My sisters don't even know it exists, they think it caved in ages ago in one of the terrible storms that took place many years ago when we first came here. I remembered my mother mentioning it to me once upon a time and when I searched for it, I found it just as she had said. It was in need of some major repair, but it was easy enough to get done with some of the clockworks working night and day. Now it can be your secret place,” Adrian said as he let Rose look around. “I hope you like it.”  
“Well, it's not very secret if you know about it, but I do like it. Perhaps it can be our secret place...” she smiled at him, stopping to kiss him on the cheek. “You are far too sweet to me, My Love.” Adrian blushed, the pink creeping up above his beard as he smiled at his sweet angel. “I hope you didn't have your sisters make all of this for me.”  
“Oh no, I pulled it all from the wardrobe and had the servants bring it here. Does it please you?”  
“Of course it does. How could it not?!” she said, picking up a small piece of fruit, sugared and juicy. She ate it and it filled her mouth with a surge of the sweet and tangy flavors of several fruits all at once. “These are unlike anything I've ever tasted. What are they called?” she asked. Adrian ran a hand through his hair,  
“You know I have no idea. I couldn't make up my mind what I would ask the wardrobe for so I did what you did and told it to make whatever. I don't even think they have a name, perhaps they're pure magic, like that crystal rose,” the one I broke in my outrage, he added to himself.  
“I never knew pure magic could taste so delicious,” she giggled, eating another. Adrian picked one up and tried it.  
“You're right, they are delicious!” he laughed. They discussed the genius of the wardrobe and what they should name the delectable delicacies that it had given them until they could eat and drink no more. From the pillows and low table, Adrian rose and moved to leave,  
“I'll go now and let you explore your new sanctum sanctorum,” he said, gently kissing her hand.  
“No! Stay! It's our secret place, remember?” she said, taking his hand and leading him to the large chaise. She sat and made Adrian sit beside her as she laid her head against his shoulder. She took one of his hands and lightly ran her fingers over it, instantly relaxing him. They were silent a few moments, just content to be in each others presence. “May I ask you something?”  
“You may ask me whatever you wish, My Darling,” he answered in a low purr. She smiled as he wrapped his other arm around her waist. “Why do you try so hard to please me like this? You know I don't need all this to be happy, not when all I really need is you...”  
“You know why, Rose,” he answered, lifting his head to look at her. She let go of his hand and he raised it to caress her cheek as he turned so they could face one another. “I care deeply for you and it's my greatest wish that you're happy here with whatever you need or wish. My love for you has increased my need and wish to be a better man, and the only way I know how to show that is by doing these little things for you. I know no other way...” he said. Rose could see by the way his eyes shone as she gazed into them that he was speaking the truth.  
“As much as I like these things, I don't need them. You already know a better way to show your love for me in a physical way, but I think I know of another, even more intimate. You've never told me the particulars of your curse. These symbols and words, why do they show as they do?” she asked as she turned his arm over to inspect it, untying the lace of his loose purple shirt sleeve to look at the symbols there. She noted they appeared lighter than usual as she ran her fingers over them.   
“You already know that I did not always look like this. After my stepfather made my mother turned me into an animal, he also made her curse me so that every wicked thing I was made to do would show up in some manor on my own body. If I cut someone on the arm, that same cut would appear on my arm, in the same place and with a pain far more intense than the one I inflicted. This hardened me and it became easier to do the terrible deeds. With every vile name I called or was called it was written across my skin, every deeds, every thought, and every sin was forced to be seen by all. It's why I hid. I thought I could make it better by taking the punishment for my sisters when they refused to do something Ludo-our stepfather told them to. It didn't ease anything, it only made it worse. The only people who were grateful were my mother and sisters, but I started to not even notice. I began to believe everything my stepfather told me I was and everything that the people in the cities and villages into which he sent me to do his bidding, called me. Each time it those names would appear on my skin and serve as a reminder of what I'd done. I learned to push it away, to do his bidding rather than incite his wrath on myself rather than my mother or sisters. The reminders of those times would replay in my head when I looked in the mirror and soon I had smashed every mirror within my reach. Nightmares and terrible waking terrors plagued me, and still do some nights...Perhaps one day, when the time is right, I will show you how I once handled those things. There is one mirror in my chambers which I could not break, a mirror that would show whomever stood before it whatever they wished to see. If you truly want to know what it was like, I will allow you to see my memories through the mirror, but I hope that you will refuse that as I do not wish upon you the burden of seeing those terrible things...” he sighed heavily and Rose noticed that every muscle in his body had tensed as he told her of his curse, like he would lose control of himself or his emotions in the remembrance of those memories. He now seemed utterly exhausted. Rose moved to kiss his cheeks and forehead, whispering,   
“My poor darling,” as she caressed his body and drew him to hers. He allowed himself to be cradled in her arms as she hummed a lullaby. Her voice and her steady heartbeat lulled him to sleep in her arms and Rose sat with him asleep in her lap for a few hours. When he woke he almost couldn't remember that he'd even told her that story, like she'd all but erased the memory from his mind and he woke refreshed. Rose smiled at him as he lifted his head to look at her,  
“I'm so sorry I fell asleep on you. I don't know what's gotten into me,” he said as she stroked his hair and beard.   
“Love has gotten into you, My Sweet. And love is a most powerful drug,” she smiled, kissing him. He sighed happily,  
“Aye, and a most welcome one at that. Shall we go for a walk to stretch our legs?” he asked, stretching a bit. Rose nodded,  
“I think that's a splendid idea!” Rose answered, “But let's stay by the pool there, I like the way the sunlight filters down through the trees and the statues that surround it cast their reflections in the water.” He smiled at her enthusiasm and did her bidding, walking hand in hand with her around the large pool. Once the swans came to check their pockets from any treats and Rose laughed as they danced around her skirts, chasing Adrian around and around her trying to stick their beaks into his pockets and nipping at his heels. Rose conjured up some of the sweets that they had in their picnic and fed them so poor Adrian could come down from the tree he'd been run up. “You can come down now, it's safe. They've been satisfied with a treat now,” she laughed.   
“I think I rather like the view from up here,” he said, laying out across one of the larger lower limbs. Rose's dress was an off the shoulder lavender gown that framed her breasts perfectly according to Adrian's discerning eye. She saw his gaze fall from her face to her chest and she shook her head.  
“You scoundrel! Come down from there this instant or I shan't let you touch what you see for a week!” she sang as she moved off further down the way. At that, Adrian gladly came down to sweep her up into his arms and plant long, sweet kisses to her neck, shoulders, and bosom. She giggled as his beard tickled her and she ran from him and hopped onto the ledge of the pool. She walked along it for a bit, holding onto Adrian's hand lest she fall, until she decided to pull him up along with her. When she did, the stone beneath them wobbled, it's holdings loose and they lost their balance, plunging them headlong into the freezing water of the pool. The swans scattered in a nosy flutter of great white wings as Rose and Adrian sat stunned and utterly drenched in the shallow pool. Suddenly Rose burst out laughing as she sat there, splashing her hands in the water as she did so. Adrian couldn't think of what could possibly be so funny as he sat there, wet and cold. He hated being wet and he hated being cold and the two put together were simply loathsome.   
““This...is not...funny!” Adrian said, glaring at Rose, his tone perturbed. But Rose only laughed harder. Adrian cupped his hand and splashed the cold water over at Rose. She stopped laughing, shocked that he'd do that in his suddenly very grumpy state. She looked over to him and burst out laughing again. His hair was wet and stringy and sticking to his face and horns, a lily-pad skewered onto his left horn. “What are you laughing at, Woman?” he said through gritted teeth.   
“You! You look absolutely ridiculous!” she answered, pulling the lily-pad off his horn. Realizing he must have indeed looked ridiculous, he finally allowed himself to smile, then laugh as Rose leaned over and kissed him, pushing the wet hair back from his face.  
“Well...so do you. I can see absolutely everything through that dress...” he replied with a wry smirk. Rose looked down and suddenly wrapped her arms around herself.  
“Oh good heavens!...” she said, a blush creeping up her neck and cheeks. “How will we ever explain this to Illyria?” she sighed, trying to ring out her own hair and sleeves.   
“Ughh...” he groaned, “It was your fault. You explain it!” he finished, picking moss and leaves out of Rose's hair before climbing out, and turning to lift her out.   
“Mon Dieu, it's freezing!! But what she doesn’t know can’t hurt us, right?!” Rose smiled innocently, her teeth beginning to chatter   
“Belle…” Adrian admonished, trying to rub her arms to warm her up.   
“So we sneak in and hurry upstairs before she or your other sisters notice!”   
“That will never work and you know it!” he answered, kissing the top of her head.   
“Well it’s worth a try, anyway. I'm cold! C’mon,” she said. Adrian wrapped an arm around her and they tried sneaking into Rose's room. Quietly Adrian closed the terrace doors behind them only to turn and find Illyria standing in the hall doorway, hands on hips.   
“And just where have you two been all day?!” she asked, an eyebrow raised, “Ye look like you've been though the deluge! Shame on you Adrian! I'll have your head if she catches cold. Swimming in this weather, and in your clothes too! Just shameful. Go and get Varitie and have Bianca warm some blankets, then it's in a warm bath for the both of you!” Adrian raised his eyebrows. “You're both to go straight down to the kitchen, it's the warmest room and the hearth is large enough so both tubs can sit in front of it.” It was Rose's turn to raise her eyebrows. She was allowing them to bathe together, though she supposed Illyria already knew how intimate her brother and she were. Down to the kitchen they were marched and in short order they were stripped and sunk into the tubs of nearly scalding water up to their necks. “Now you two stay there until I say so. I don't care if you turn into prunes!” Illyria said, shaking her head as she left, Bianca and a giggling Varitie following her. Adrian reached for a pot and scooped out some of the water in Rose's tub and put it into his.  
“What are you doing?!” Rose whispered harshly.   
“Shh, just wait!” When he had satisfied himself that there was the right amount of water in Rose's tub, he got up out of his and into hers.  
“Are you mad, Illyria is going to kill you!”  
“I highly doubt that, My Love,” he said, kissing her ear as he sunk down and pulled her against him. “There, isn't that much warmer?” he smirked.  
“You are the devil incarnate!...Silly man!”  
“I won't argue with you there, after all I have far too many naughty thoughts in my head right now,” he said, tickling her underneath the water. She squealed, then covered her mouth, sinking down until only her nose and eyes were above the waterline. Water had already splashed and sloshed out of the tub and all over the floor. “We are going to get into so much trouble doing this!”  
“Doing what? Bathing with each other?” he said raising an eyebrow. “Illyria told us to stay here until she said otherwise, and that's exactly what we're doing. Just a slightly different location...Besides, it's not like we're doing other things...” he nipped at Rose's neck before pulling her back against him and wrapping his arms around her. “Besides, I hate being wet and if I have to be soaked in water, I'd rather you be as miserable as I!”  
“This isn't very miserable,” Rose smirked as she laid her head back on Adrian's shoulder. He turned his head and kiss her wet curls,  
“Aye, with you, it isn't miserable at all,” he said, his voice low and quiet. They relaxed like that for almost an hour until Illyria came back in to check on them. She was going to fuss at her brother for his very scandalous behavior, but decided they looked so content, that it would be alright this one time. She and Bianca had them dried off, wrapped in warm clothes and sent to bed, separately this time. She wanted them to actually sleep. However, so accustomed to sleeping in the same bed had they grown, that neither of them could sleep, until in the wee hours of the morning, Adrian crept into Rose's room and slipped under the covers to snuggle against his angel. That's how Illyria found them next morning. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	7. Approaching Darkness

As days and nights passed with them spending most of the their waking and sleeping moments together, their feelings grew stronger and stronger. Rose had finally chosen a melody for the beautiful music box Adrian had given her and it stood on it's own pedestal table in her room. The song she had chosen was a haunting waltz that she remembered from her childhood. When she played it for Adrian, he had recognized it as a tune his mother used to sing to him when he couldn't sleep at night. Over those next few days his happiest moments were when Rose would pull him up with her and dance to that tune. She liked to dance with him in the moonlight out on the terrace outside her room. She was never more beautiful to him than when she would let her curls fall onto her bare shoulders as she turned and swayed in a cloud like nightdress that he'd pulled from the wardrobe for her. Tiny pink and red roses were embroidered along the off the shoulder neckline with swirls of gold thread, not too gaudy for her, but just enough to set off her natural beauty and the lovely flush her cheeks would get when he held her and twirled her around like she weighed nothing at all.   
One of those nights, she'd fallen asleep standing up as he swayed them in the moonlight. The music box song ended and he picked her up and carried her to bed, lying down next to her and watching as her chest slowly rose and fell until he hadn't been able to keep his own eyes open any longer. He woke sometime in the middle of the night to find her usual spot beside him empty and cold. He stood and went in search of her, expecting to find her either in her parlor where she kept some of the paintings from her family's home or on the roof, where they often sat to watch the stars. He did not find her in either of those places and when he tried to find her scent, it was as if she hadn't been there in ages and his blood ran cold. Zephyr was also no where to be found and Adrian tracked his scent, knowing he was never far from Rose's side after the attack from the thorn creatures.  
Rose had woke to a strange calling. Something eerie and ethereal like music called to her and she chased it slowly through the garden, like a dark sprite in the night. The night was chilly yet she didn't seem to feel it as she ran, chasing the playful sprite and it's music through the garden and out into the woods. The sprite always seemed faster than she was and it hid behind trees, ever calling to her. Once she thought she heard Adrian call to her, but the sprite had laughed and teased her to come after it again.  
Adrian ran through the garden to the stables and swung up onto his horse's bare back, not wasting time with tack or saddle. He called Rose's name, as he raced through the forest to find her. The farther he went the stronger Rose's scent became and he could hear Zephyr's call ever just beyond him. His jaw set, he knew who had to be behind this and he swore to himself that if he reached her in time and saved her from Ludovic's clutches, he would hunt Ludovic down and rip him to shreds with his bare hands.   
“Rose! Don't listen to him,” he called. “Come back!”  
“You're too late, Adrian, she will be mine and you will die a painful death, sad and utterly alone...” Ludovic's voice was close enough he could almost feel his breath against his ear.  
“You can't win her, our love is too strong. She will never bend to your will!” Adrian screamed.  
Out in a clearing, Rose saw the sprite duck behind a cloaked figure. The music she heard was having a strange affect on her and she felt dizzy, yet the figure held out a hand for her. She started to shrink from it, sensing something was not right. She heard Adrian clearly call her name and she turned slowly to see him riding for her, but the music grew louder and the pull to the figure grew stronger as a eerie green light shone from the hood, his hand ever stretched out to her. Her steps came slowly, like it was a struggle to take every one, but she was being pulled in two different directions.   
“Belle! Come back!”  
“That's right, keep walking this way, my beauty...” the voice spoke soothingly to her, “Come to me and you shall have your family back and all the love you'll ever need with me,” said Adrian's voice as his face appeared in the green light.  
“Adrian,” she whispered.  
“Belle, No! I'm here, right here beside you. He's an illusion. Come back, My Love!” Adrian called to her as he swung down from his horse and ran to her. Her hand was outstretched towards the figure's and there were only a few feet from one another. As he took Belle in his arms, she tried to fight him off, seeing instead the thorn creatures who had tried to take her before.  
“Adrian!” she cried, “Help me!”  
“Take my hand, My Love,” said the cloaked figure with Adrian's voice.  
“Belle, listen to me, what you see is not real. He's trying to take you from me. Please, listen to me!” She faltered for a moment and it was all Adrian needed as he lifted her in his arms and kissed her deeply. The fog in her head began to dissipate as she felt Adrian's lips on hers, his arms around her and she returned his kiss. She was dizzy and light headed when he pulled away, and she opened her eyes to see tears in his eyes. She turned to where the cloaked figure was standing, it's face now hidden in the moonlight, all traces of the sprite and the music gone.  
“You didn't heed my warning, and now it shall be war on all that you hold dear!” the voice said and with a swirl of it's cloak the figure disappeared.  
“Adrian?!” she whispered, feeling suddenly very weak.  
“God, I thought I'd lost you,” he whispered, kissing her forehead, “It's alright now, Belle. You're safe, I'm here, My Love,” he soothed as he picked her up and carried her to his horse. She shivered against his warm skin, his thick curls warming her as she snuggled into his arms after he'd mounted his horse behind her.  
“What was that?”  
“Shh, I'll tell you tomorrow. Just rest, you're safe now,” he whispered, kissing her forehead as he held her close and kicked his horse onward.   
Safely back in bed, Adrian closed the terrace doors and locked them securely. He'd seen his sisters attempting a cloaking and protection spell in the garden after blocking the gate to the woods. He was too angry and frightened for his beloved's safety for him to sleep that night and he kept a silent vigil as she slept soundly in his arms the rest of the night. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, to distract from the previous evening, Adrian decided to show Rose the last two rooms that she had previously not seen.   
“I've saved the best for last,” he said, standing her in front of two very large, very beautifully carved doors just off one of the main halls.   
“Do I have to close my eyes again?” she mused with a frown.   
“Not if you don't want to, Love,” he said opening the doors for her. The room on the others side of the doors was a vast ballroom, all gilt and deliciously carved with details of swans, roses, cherubs, and doves. It was breathtaking. “I know this is just a ballroom, but the room down there is what I really want to show you. It's far more important.”  
“Well then show me!” Rose urged. With a grin he grabbed her hand and they sprinted across the vast glossy floor of the ballroom to the double doors on the far end. Behind them Illyria and Varitie peeked over the stair rail to watch them as they slipped and slid across the floor. Finally at the other end, Adrian put his hands on the door handles.  
“Ok, this time, close your eyes. Everything inside this room is my gift to you,”  
“Adrian...” Rose started.  
“No arguments, Belle. It's a gift, now close your eyes,”   
“Oh very well,” she said. She closed her eyes and heard him open the doors. He pulled her into a room filled with all kinds of ticking and sounds of little gears turning.  
“Now open your eyes.” Rose opened her eyes to see all kinds of unimaginably intricate music boxes, clocks, and moving sculptures.   
“ You made all of these?” she breathed. He nodded as she moved around the numerous pedestals that held all of the pieces.   
“We call it the Music Box room. That empty spot is where your Rose sculpture used to be, until I moved it to my room to try and get it to turn. I remembered my mother telling me that the crystals were magic and would only turn for the person who held the sculptor's heart. When I remembered that, I knew I had to give it to you, for no one else could ever hold my heart the way you do.”  
“Adrian, these are amazing, but I don't want you to give them to me. I would rather that we share these with others someday,” she said.  
“I suppose we could do that...one day. But for now they are yours.” She pursed her lips at him, a smile tugging them upward.   
“Oh, no, look at the time, we need to hurry to the roof or we'll miss the eclipse!” Adrian grabbed her hand again and they ran, slipping and sliding across the ballroom floor to the stairs at the other end, taking them two at a time until they'd reached the roof. They relaxed and watched as the moon readied itself to cross in from of the sun. From atop the battlements that afternoon, they could easily watch the eclipse with the help of the telescope and a box that Adrian had found in a book on the library. It was almost time for the moon to begin it's travel across the sun when they were interrupted by a sound from below and Rose looked over the parapet to see what it might be. Adrian's muscles tensed as joined her there. Below, in the courtyard of the castle, they saw a group of the king's men creeping into the garden. Standing at her shoulder, Adrian cursed under his breath as his arm snaked around Rose instinctively. He kissed her forehead and whispered,  
“I'll be right back,” but Rose caught him and pulled him back shaking her head.   
“Allow me,” she said. With a wave of her hand the gargoyles and various statues in the garden slowly began to come to life, as if awakening from a thousand year sleep. As they began to move, they came down from their perches and pedestals and headed towards the guardsmen like a great grey army moving to rebuff an attack on their Lord's castle. The men were quickly growing afraid and as they statues began their attack, they fled for their lives. “See, that's done, now where were we?” Adrian growled a chuckle deep in his throat and hugged RoséBelle to him as he kissed her curls.  
“You're an amazing woman, do you know that, Belle?”  
“I do now,” Rose smiled up at her beastly prince and pulled his face down by his horns so she could kiss him. His arms tightened around her for a moment before he broke the kiss. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily.   
“The eclipse is over,” he said, looking up at the sky and his box, “We should go back inside, it's nearly luncheon and we don't want Illyria upset with us for being late agin.” he said turning away from her and beginning to pack up the box and books. Even though she couldn't see it, there was pain in Adrian's eyes. After the attempt by the king's men to gain access to the castle, he was beginning to realize that she'd remained with him far too long and it was time for her to return to the place she truly belonged. For the thousandth time, Adrian's chest hurt, a pain that twisted his insides. Could Ludovic have been right, was love only pain and suffering? The tightness physically hurt and it made him want to both cry and scream. He didn't want to let Rose go, but he knew he had to. With great difficulty, he attempted to compose himself as he went to his workshop.   
RoséBelle went to her parlor and tried to pick the painting she was working on back up, but found it was almost useless. The scene only reminded her of what had just happened. The king's men were still looking for her, they still believed she was alive. Soon she and Adrian would be helpless to resist them if they came back and she wasn't going to let them hurt the man she loved or his sisters. She knew that if they returned to the castle, they would surely destroy the magic of the place and she would never forgive herself for that. She wanted to remember the place that had become her home as it was. She ran to her room and cried hard for she so desperately wanted to live out her life with Adrian as his wife.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get really interesting. But you'll have to read the next chapter to find out how! 
> 
> As always, please bookmark and comment if you're enjoying the story!   
> Thanks and Cheers!


	8. A Sad Parting

It was only a few evenings later that Ludovic burst through the sister's feeble protection spell and came upon Rose in the garden, cutting a basket of winter roses.   
“Hello, my pretty princess,” he said.  
“You! How did you get in here?!” she cried, turning quickly. As she rose her basket went toppling to the snow, scattering the roses asunder. “Why do you want to hurt us?!”  
“I don't want to hurt you...well, not you anyway. I just want what's inside you. Your powers are very special and very valuable to me, and if you will not go with me willingly, I will have to take you by force,” he said, walking slowly closer and closer to her.  
“I won't go with you. I won't leave Adrian,”  
“Ah, yes, young love. How were those lovely little sweet treats he left you in your garden house this afternoon. Delicious weren't they...” he said. Rose looked confused for a moment and as he moved still closer she tried to push him back with her powers, but nothing happened.  
“What?! Powers not working, my dear?” he said.  
“What have you done to me?”  
“I can't take your powers without your permission, so I thought I'd just make you powerless to use them while I take you instead,” he said, grabbing hold of her wrist and dragging her towards the garden wall. Before either knew what was happening, they heard a terrible roar and Adrian came flying out of nowhere, his cape billowing in the wind. Both Rose and Ludovic were stunned and with one sweep of his arm, he sent Ludovic sprawling. Adrian turned to Rose,  
“Run. Go inside. He said, pushing her towards the castle. She tried to move but seemed rooted to the spot.  
“She's not going anywhere except with me.”  
“Over my dead body!” Adrian snarled.  
“Oh, if you insist...” he said, Ludovic raised his hand and Adrian was sent flying backward, crashing hard into the castle wall.   
“No! Please! Don't do this! I'll go with you!”  
“Rose?! No!” Adrian moaned.  
“Well, if you're willing...but I'm still going to kill your beloved beast!”  
“NO!” Rose screamed and tried to move between him and Adrian.   
“Tsk, tsk, dear. Can't have you getting that pretty little face all messed up, now can we!” Ludovic said as he picked her up with his powers and placed her several feet away. Adrian had used the conversation to pick himself back up and attacked Ludovic again, landing actual blows on his person this time. Ludovic used his powers to aid his blows and landed them onto Adrian's person. Adrian was losing and very very badly. Ludovic was about to land a final blow with a dagger as Rose threw her body on top of Adrian's still form.  
“STOP!” she cried. “If you kill him, you must kill me too. I'll give you my powers, just please, don't take him from me,” tears streaming down her face and her voice cracking with emotion. “Please...He's all I have left!”   
“Rose...no...don't...” Adrian tried to whisper.  
“You'll give me your powers without a fight? You would do this for a monster like him? Oh my poor dear, you are so naïve to think that a life with him could ever bring you anything but pain and sorrow...but I'll gladly accept your offer. Give me your hand,” Ludovic said, extending his to her. Rose gave him her hand and as he took it she felt terrible pain, like her soul was being ripped from her. She could feel her powers draining and she cried out in agony as she collapsed on top of Adrian. Her powers gone, Ludovic stood over them gloating. “I hope you're utterly miserable in your pathetic little love!” he spat, then turned and disappeared.  
“Rose...why...?” Adrian tried to ask, his voice gravelly as he wheezed.  
“I had to! I wouldn't let him kill you. I love you too much,”  
“Rose...”  
“Shh, I've got to get you inside. Illyria! Bianca!” she called. His sisters came running and with much trouble, the four of them succeeded in getting him into his room and seeing to his wounds. Rose remained by his side, unable to do anything else for him except sing and hold his hand. Even with his healing gift, it would take him quite a long time to heal after his fight. Night and day she was with him, soothing him as best she could. When he slept, she cried, and when he was awake she smiled. She'd sacrificed her own protection for the one person in the world she loved more than anything else and she would do it again if she could. However, she'd felt like something had been taken from her. Like a little piece of her had died and it hurt physically, yet she never said a word about it. She helped Adrian get better with what little she could do for him, but he could tell that something about her had changed from that moment on. However, he would never love her any less; her sacrifice only made her so much more dear to him.  
This was the first time Rose had been in his room, the inner West Wing. It was far different from the other parts of the castle, as if the room itself had been transformed with Adrian's curse. Every scarp of linen was in tatters, it looked as if it had never seen a duster or a mop, and there were deep claw marks on the walls, paintings, and other furnishings. The room held almost as much pain as Adrian himself did, and now she did. Though their pain was of different origins. Yes, this room looked as her heart did at that moment, but she put on a brave face, as she always did. Anything for Adrian.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Adrian had continued to heal, not as quickly as usual, but he still healed nonetheless. He'd woken early that morning, before Rose was awake and had slipped from her room to think. When the king's men had arrived at the castle earlier that month, it had weighed heavily on his mind as to what to do about it. He had thought perhaps a letter from Rose to her uncle might set things right, or maybe a visit, but he knew that would not be possible without her powers. If he were to take her that would only mean he would be arrested for kidnapping the princess and he couldn't leave his sisters alone. There was still Ludovic to worry about, and since he had taken Rose's powers, there was no telling how formidable an opponent he might be. Though if he did take Rose back to the palace, he could warn the king of Ludovic's potential danger to the kingdoms. Adrian desperately wanted Rose to stay with him, he needed her, but he knew she needed to take her rightful place as heir. He rummaged in one of the many chests that littered his room until he found a small box with what he needed. He would give it to her today, and broach the subject at breakfast.  
RoséBelle dressed in a pink, blue and cream lace gown Adrian had pulled from the Wishing Wardrobe and tied her hair loosely at the nape of her neck. All of the ladies were seated at the table when Adrian entered the main hall. He set the small velvet box in front of RoséBelle and Sat down hard in his chair, his face awash of dark brooding. His sisters remained silent as Rose opened the bundle to reveal a strangely coloured gemstone ring and a small oval mirror.   
“They're lovely...but what are they for, I have everything I could possibly need right here.” She tried to reach for Adrian's hand, but he quickly moved to negate her reach. Rose saw the pain in his eyes as he did and she knew something was wrong.   
“The mirror will show you whatever you desire. You can use it...to remember me-those of us here that care for you...RoséBelle, there's something we need to discuss. I've kept you here far too long. The visit from King Anton's men tells me that it's time you return to Arturia. It's you're rightful home and you must take your place as heir to the throne,” Adrian said, picking at his food.  
“Kept me here?” she laughed. “You told me when I first came here that I could leave anytime I wanted if I so chose...I chose to stay because I wanted to...I still do, because...” RoséBelle tried to search Adrian's eyes, but he wouldn't look at her, “Don't you want me here anymore?” Adrian looked up sharply, “I thought we were everything we needed. You said you loved me-we made love many times-did that love mean nothing?!” Her eyes welled with tears.  
“I know what I said,” he almost snapped, cutting her off. He didn't want to repeat what they had done, the many intimate things they'd said to one another; he wanted to remember it all as it was. He was silent a moment, their eyes locked until he had to look away lest her eyes break his heart and his will. He sighed heavily and hung his head, “It doesn't matter what I want. The fact that I love you means that I want what's best for you, even if it's not me. King Anton's men...the fact that they're still looking for you is proof enough that someone believes your still alive and it's not right of me to ask you to stay, no matter how much I want you to so.” He could see tears in Rose's eyes and he stood abruptly and moved to stare into the fire to keep himself from taking her in his arms and kissing her to comfort her. He wanted her to stay, more than anything in the world he wanted it, but he knew she must return to her family. He had been so absorbed in his dreams for the two of them that he'd forgotten about the threat to her and her family. “You must return. We will go today. Only take what you can carry and I'll have the rest of your things sent to you once you're settled.”   
“Must she go? Adrian!-” Illyria and Bianca started.  
“I have made my decision and I will not change my mind,” he said pointedly, his heart breaking a little bit more with each tick of the clock on the mantelpiece.   
“Do I not get a say in that decision?” Rose asked softly. She waited for an answer, yet Adrian remained silent. “Adrian?” When he still did not answer, Rose slipped from her chair and left the room in tears, only Zephyr followed her as the sisters were focused on Adrian. Illyria had moved to her brother's side,   
“Would you so soon throw away your only chance to break your curse? She's the one, Mon Frier, she must be!”  
“Can you not see the change in yourself that can only have come from her influence over you-her love?” Varitie added.  
“She feels for you. She wants to stay. Why must you force her to go?” Bianca finished.   
“She is the one, your one true love,” the three said together, all gathering around him.  
“Enough! If all this time loving her has not broken the curse yet, then it never shall be broken!” he roared again, flinging them off before he caught himself. He turned back to the table, “Rose...Rose?...Rose!” He called for her as he sprinted up the stairs to her room. He began to panic when she wasn't there. He grabbed his cloak and mask and ran out into the forest calling for her. “BELLE!”   
RoséBelle had packed a bag and slipped out of the castle without anyone seeing her. She ran as fast and as far as she could until she collapsed to her knees, exhausted from running and sobbing. All those nights of love, her sacrifice of her powers to save his life, had all of it meant nothing, or had it merely been a dream. She had thought he truly cared for her, but to send her away without letting her have a say in the matter hurt. It hurt physically and she knew she loved him even more now. The physical pain reminded her of something, something she'd been told years ago about love, but what was it? She felt a presence behind her,  
“Why do you want to send me away?” She turned to see not Adrian, but Philippe, her childhood friend, “Phillippe!? Wherever did you come from?” The blonde haired man went as pale as his white uniform.  
“RoséBelle?! Is it really you?! My god, we'd feared you were dead. Oh, my love, you're alive! King Anton will surely get well when he sees you!” Phillippe rushed forward and hugged the princess, and attempted to kiss her.  
“Please, Phillippe, not now. I-I...”  
“Of course, Princess. Forgive me, you must be exhausted. Let me help you to my horse,” he rose, took her bag, and offered her his hands. As he pulled her to her feet, a group of the King's men came into the clearing with Adrian in chains. He had tried to find her, but when the men had surrounded him, he had let them take him down. He knew that without RoséBelle he had nothing else left to live for. Yes, she was returning home where she needed to be, but he was losing her and he felt that would surely kill him; he would never be freed from his curse if she were gone and he would die a monster. He had done that one thing he had sworn to himself that he wouldn't do, push her away and now she was lost to him completely.   
“Adrian?!”  
“My Lord, we've caught the Princess's kidnapper. He was chasing after her, calling her name even when we came upon him,” the soldier said, “ If secrecy was his aim, it was a rather idiotic thing to do, if you ask me.” Phillippe and the soldiers shared a laugh, as RoséBelle wrested her wrist from Phillippe's grasp and shoved her bag into his arms. She ran to Adrian,  
“Why did you come after me? You knew there might be men looking for me in the forest, you knew they would find you and arrest you. You should have stayed with your sisters...they'll punish you harshly for this if they don't kill you first,” she whispered harshly, trying not to cry as she touched his mask with a finger. She was actually surprised he had thought to put it back on, but maybe he wanted to get caught. Was he wishing for death because she had to leave him? The thought chilled Rose's heart.  
“Shh, I'll be alright. I'll take whatever punishment they give me so long as you are safe, Ma Belle Rose.” He tried to smile for her sake, but it came out half-hearted.  
“Phillippe, release this man. He is not my kidnapper, he is my Saviour. I would surely have died at the hands of the Blood Knights had he not intervened when he did. He kept me safe for all this time. He is guilty of nothing but compassion.”  
“That may be true, but he must stand trial just the same. The Council of the Eldaar will decide his fate, Princess. Now come, we must get you back to the palace. Bring the prisoner,” Phillippe called over his shoulder as he fairly pulled RoséBelle towards his horse and placed her on it.   
“His name is Adrian, and he will ride with me, that's an order.” RoseBelle said firmly. Adrian smirked, a silver white fang peeking out from his lips, as she offered her arm to help him swing up behind her. Phillippe was in an outrage, but he dare not disobey the princess, especially if he wanted her to marry him in the next few weeks, that is after he'd made sure that this Adrian fellow was done away with for good. He spoke to a few of the soldiers that had just rode up and bade them new orders before taking one of the other officer's horses and leading the group in the direction of the palace. Their ride was mostly silent, but Rose felt she needed to apologize,  
“I'm sorry I ran out on you like I did. It's not the first time and I should have realized it would only come to trouble, as it did before. This never should have happened...”  
“No. I should never have made the decision for you. I should have asked you first,” he was silent a moment, his fingers creeping around her waist underneath her cape so no one would see. His hand caressed her back gently. “I did want you with me... I still do,” he hung his head, “Would that I had never balked...”  
“You wanted to do what was right, and you have, maybe not the way you wanted to, but it's happening. I just wish the soldiers hadn't been here, or that they hadn't seen you. You've done nothing wrong...in fact you've done everything right.”  
“I tried to at least. But don't worry about me. I will gladly take any punishment for what I've done. You made a sacrifice for me, now I shall make a sacrifice for you. Everything I've done, everything I do now, I do for you....My Love...” A lump rose in Adrian's throat and he couldn't say anything more, but he slipped the ring from that morning onto her finger. The same tight burning feeling filled Rose's chest and she wanted to cry, but she didn't dare do it in front of Phillippe. She could feel the cold metal on her finger and she smiled a little through the pain.  
“I will make sure that your sisters know of what happened to you,” she said tightly. The darkness of Blackheathe Forest seemed to melt into the light Woods of Englewood where Rose grew up. They crossed the same river with it's little island where she and Adrian had first met. She reached around behind her to take his hand beneath her cape,  
“I will never forget that day you came into my life, My Prince.” He squeeze  
d it tightly and caressed it with both of his. He wanted to take her in his arms and drop kisses all over her heck and shoulders and cry for the thought of losing her,  
“Nor will I, My Love.” His words broke Rose's heart because she knew what would happen when they arrived at the palace. Adrian cautiously kissed her hand, then slid from the horse to walk beside her. Rose pulled her horse to a stop and dismounted to walk with him, forcing all the others to dismount as well, for it was a grave discourtesy to ride while one of the Royal family walked. By the time they reached the palace, Phillippe's boots had already rubbed blisters all over his feet, and the looks he gave Adrian were cold and heartless.   
“I swear I will free you, Adrian. Of that you can be sure. My Uncle will know how you saved me and I will make sure the Eldaar Council members know the truth about you,” Rose called after him. Phillippe smirked when the soldiers dragged him to the dungeon. Before he took her inside, Phillippe stopped her.   
“You know you can't make the Council give a certain verdict. His life is in their hands now. Whether you want to believe it or not, he kept you away from your real family for nearly two years, eighteen months to be exact. He has committed a crime by his own admission since he knew who you were when he saved you. Please, forget him now and see to your Uncle. I know seeing your face will do for him what medicine cannot,” Phillippe entreated, squeezing her hands for emphasis.  
“Phillippe, I must ask you to help me make sure Adrian is kept safe and that he is treated fairly, no matter what those around us may think of him. He has protected me and kept me safe from things you could not possibly understand. I owe him so much and I must find a way to help him. Will you promise me that?” RoséBelle pleaded with him.  
“I will do what I can, Princess. That is a promise,” he answered with a smile, a smile that melted into a wicked grin as Rose turned her back to him to continue inside.   
When her Uncle saw her, he indeed did get better very quickly. So quickly in fact that three days later they held a ball in honour of her return home. That night, Pamina, her ladies maid, dressed RoséBelle in a golden gown, the same shade that she had worn to the fairies' solstice ball, the night Adrian had used what little influence he had with his sisters to gain their help in giving her a night to remember. She remembered the gown he had given her, the dancing, the pure love that shone in his eyes as he gazed at her in the moonlight. She cried a little when she looked in the mirror at herself and remember how she'd felt when she first put on that other gown. Pamina still didn't understand why her lady was so distraught now that her uncle was better. At no time since she'd returned to the palace had Rose had time to speak to the king. He had concerned himself with throwing her a ball, and the affairs of state that he had neglected when she was still missing and it seemed that at every time she did find a moment alone with him, Phillippe would be there with yet another thing for King Anton to deal with. Rose's best friends Giselle and her brother Geraurd tried their best to see what they could do to help Adrian's case. That night at the ball, Rose enlisted their help to distract her uncle and Phillippe so that she could visit Adrian in the dungeon. She cloaked herself in her deep purple cape and crept to the dungeon.   
Adrian's heart leapt when he saw her descend the stairs and he rushed to the bars of his cell, but the guard pushed him back roughly.   
“You will not touch him,” Rose articulated harshly, throwing back her hood and glaring at the guard.  
“Princess...I-uh-forgive me...but he is a monster, he will certainly harm you!” he stuttered. Rose's eyes grew wide and she struck the guard squarely across the face, “You will never speak that word again, do you hear me.” She reached through the bars to take Adrian's hands and he kissed them both before clutching them to his chest, “he would never harm me, ever. Now leave us.”  
“But My Lady!” the guard started.  
“Do I need to make it an order,” she said, shooting him a dangerous look. He nodded, bowed slightly, then scurried off to nurse his face.   
“Belle,” he breathed, “how I've missed you these few days.” He kissed her forehead through the bars.  
“I'm so sorry, My Love. I couldn't get away. I've tried to tell my Uncle the truth, but I fear that Phillippe is against us. Geraurd is trying his best to find evidence of his duplicity, but he's not had any luck.” She caressed his face. The guards had stripped him of all of his princely attire, and the cape and mask lay tattered and torn on the cold stone floor. Adrian had been beaten and abused probably at Phillippe's instigation and she wanted to hurl lighting at his smug face for it. “They've hurt you, and by doing so, have hurt me. I will speak to the Council myself tomorrow if all else fails. Adrian...oh this is all my fault!” she cried. Adrian kissed her hair and lifted her face to his. He kissed the end of her nose lightly.   
“If all else does fail, at least I got to see your beautiful face and kiss you before...”  
“NO! Don't talk like that. Everything is going to be fine. The Council will do what is right, Phillippe will be found out and he will get what he deserves. I swear-” Adrian cut her off by devouring her lips with his, cradling her face in his hands. He kissed her with all the love and desire he had for her, then let her go as tears streamed down both their faces.  
“You must forget me, Rose. Tomorrow will not come for me, I fear, and you must be brave and forget me completely. You have a job to do, one day you will be Queen and our future will be no more. Now go, leave me now and forget you ever met me,” he said, pushing her hands back through the bars.   
“No! Why are you saying this?! Please! Don't ask me to do that...I can't...I won't! I will free you, I have to!”  
“You have to let me go!” he shouted, “Now go! Now!” He turned from her and sunk to a kneeling position, refusing to look at her again. Rose could barely see through her tears. She would speak to her Uncle tonight and force him to save Adrian. As king, he could do that, and she knew he would do so for her sake. She ran from the dungeon and into the garden, nearly sick from listening to Adrian beg her to forget him. Adrian heard her footsteps disappear up the stairs. He collapsed onto his knees, his forehead against the cold stone of the cell wall and sobbed. The pain of losing his beloved was too much for him and he roared as his claws scraped down the stone wall and he collapsed into a ball on the floor. The guard who had watched the scene from a distance felt for the monster of a man, but what could he do. He agreed that the prisoner had done the right thing in telling the princess to forget him, but that kiss. That kiss was of pure love. He had known love once in his life and had lost it to death. He felt the beast's pain.


	9. The Final Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter of the story. It's a bit extra long, but there will be an epilogue after to wrap things up.

When Rose returned to the ball, there was no time to speak to her Uncle, she'd stayed too long in the garden and it was time for bed. She sent everyone away and readied herself for bed on her own, tossing the golden ballgown she'd just taken off into the fireplace. Phillippe had chosen the gown for her at the request of her Uncle and now to look at it filled her with hatred for the smug, stuck up snob. He'd done everything to ingratiate himself with her family for years she now knew, and only to make sure that he was well positioned to marry her and become king when she took the throne. And the gown only served as a reminder of the one she'd worn the night she realized she was in love with Adrian and the pain of that memory hurt beyond anything she'd ever felt before. She couldn't sleep that night. She was so upset the pain in her chest only continued to get worse.   
In the morning, she rose early and dressed in her Uncle's favorite colour to aid in her pleas, she hoped. As soon as she was ready she started to breakfast to make sure she had plenty of time to speak to him. On the way Giselle and Geraurd came running with good news. Geraurd had found evidence that Phillippe and his mother, the Countess Von Dresden had been influential in bringing about the demise of Rose's family by hiring the Blood Knights, a ruthless group of assassins under the control of King Ludovic and his Lord Severus of the Black Cliffs, a principality of Blackheathe. She thought she remembered those names from something Adrian had once mentioned, but she couldn't be sure. The three of them rushed to breakfast where Rose took her seat next to her Uncle. Sir Chambliss was giving the king his schedule for the day and when he finished, Rose spoke up,  
“Uncle, I've been trying for the past several days to speak to you on a very important matter. A man's life is at stake.”  
“Ah yes, forgive my busy schedule, My Dear. I've some news for you on that matter, but I'm not sure it's best to give it to you on an empty stomach. Eat your breakfast, then I will tell you,” King Anton said. Rose gripped the arm of her chair to keep calm.   
“No. You will tell me now. You must tell me now.” Her voice was calm and steady, but inside her heart was beating so hard that it could have burst from her chest as it thumped in her ears.   
“If you're sure-”  
“I'm sure. Please, tell me, Uncle....I must know!”  
“I'm afraid that this Adrian friend of yours was put to death early this morning. The Council found him guilty of kidnapping and the murder of my brother and your family. I'm so very sorry, Darling.”  
“No, No!” Rose whispered, her face ashen as her eyes welled with tears.   
“There wasn't anything I could have done,” Anton called as she rushed from the table and ran all the way to the dungeon, plunging down the stairs and stopping short of the open cell door. Still lying on the floor were Adrian's cape and mask and she dropped to her knees to clutch them to her chest, silently crying. He was dead, her love was dead. Giselle and Geraurd had followed her and their hearts broke for her as something between a wail and a scream escape Rose's throat. She clutched at her chest, sobbing.   
“He's gone. Oh he's gone,” she kept crying. She felt as if her heart was going to rip right out of her chest. It felt as if it were truly tearing in two and being ripped out of her ribcage and she couldn't breathe. Giselle and Geraurd knelt beside her. “My heart is breaking...I can't breathe...” she gasped before passing out. Chamberlain Chambliss called for aide and they quickly rushed her to her room and called for the doctor. For the next several days she was ill, clutching her chest and crying until she could cry no more. There was nothing the doctor could do for her other than keep her comfortable. The doctor even went so far as to explain that if there wasn't some change in the next few days, she would very easily die of a broken heart. She was dying anyway, she knew. She had been, slowly, ever since she'd woken up from the thorn creatures' poison fever and shared her first kiss with Adrian, Rose had known her death would not be very long in coming. A few days later, when Illyria and Varitie showed up at the castle with the story of how Phillippe's men had found the castle and nearly destroyed it, killing Bianca in the process, Rose plucked up courage enough to see that the sisters were taken care of here at the palace. But their presence made her ache even more and their grief on the news of their brother only served to renew her own.  
Giselle and Geraurd took their chances and presented their evidence on the Von Dresden’s to King Anton and the Council of the Eldaar. Outraged by the findings that the Council themselves investigated and found to be true, the King made sure that Phillippe and his mother were banished from the kingdom for the rest of their lives and sent far away. Very far away. The King himself gave Rose the news and she seemed to cheer up a bit. Four days later, she finally got out of bed. She was still weak and her heart still ached, a red mark that looked like a jagged gash across the left side of her breastbone shown very visibly above her gowns' necklines as a sort of reminder to others that she'd lost her only love. Giselle and Geraurd had become good friends with Illyria and Varitie and the four of them devoted themselves to Rose and were her own little fortress that even her Uncle was required to go through before he could see her. Rose was very adept at appearing interested and happy, but most knew that it was only for her Uncle's sake. She remained dejected and languid when on her own. A week later Rose sat in the garden, picking the petals off a rose the colour of the ring Adrian had slipped on her finger on their ride to the castle. Giselle slowly moved to speak to her,  
“King Anton would like to know if you're up to seeing a visitor. A prince from a neighboring kingdom who would very much like to offer his condolences,” Giselle said. Rose looked up with a soft smile,  
“I'll see him, but please, tell him no condolences. I can't bear that just yet.” Giselle nodded and waved the King and his guest over.   
“May I present Prince Thaine of Castle Forre. Your highness, my niece, Crown Princess RoséBelle.” The king gave introduction, bowed and left them, moving to stand off with Giselle and Geraurd, her ever present guards. Prince Thaine bowed deeply, even though Rose's back was turned to him,  
“Highness, the pleasure is all mine. Forgive me for saying so, but that gown does not suit you as well as a gown of gold and roses would...” That voice...it couldn't be. Slowly Rose turned around to face him. The hands, the hair...those eyes. Even the mention of the gown.  
“Adrian?!...” she rose slowly and the Prince stepped forward, took her hand with the ring on it and dropped to a knee as Rose studied his face hard. The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, those lips that framed gleaming silvery white teeth.  
“I gave you the ring, but I never had the chance to ask you the question.”  
“It is you! My Love!!...” Rose's voice caught in her throat as tears nearly blinded her. She was speechless as he kissed her hand and held it both of his,  
“My Princess, Belle. Would you do me the great honour of becoming my wife?” Rose was quivering from shock and excitement. All she could do was nod and throw her arms around his neck as she cried tears of joy. He stood and hugged her tightly to him,  
“I thought I'd lost you forever, My Love,” Rose whispered, trying not to choke on her tears. He gently set her back down and took her face in his hands but she pulled him to her lips before he could bend to kiss her. They shared a passionate kiss, much to the surprise of the King. Giselle was crying as her brother squeezed her arm.  
“It's him!” she whispered.  
“It must be, that's not just any kiss!” Geraurd replied.  
“Aye! That's true love's kiss!”  
Illyria and Varitie had come running when they heard that a Prince Thaine had arrived. They all but ran into Giselle and Geraurd as Thaine picked Rose up and swung her around in a circle. He set her down, letting her go and linking her arm with his as they walked back toward the onlookers. His sisters were in tears and nearly wanted to scream.  
“Rose?! Whatever is the meaning of all this?” King Anton sputtered, utterly confused.  
“My prince has returned to me. Uncle Rupert, this is Prince Adrian Thaine Thornfeld, the man who saved my life, the man I fell in love with, and the man I thought I'd lost for all eternity.” She beamed up at her Prince. His face was clean shaven and the inked marks, the animal-like features and most of the scars had vanished, leaving a truly handsome prince behind. Rose almost missed his horns...almost. Illyria and Varitie could hold it in no longer, with cries of joy they ran to their brother and all but toppled him.  
“You're alive! You're alive!” the cried, overjoyed. Varitie was the first to look him over. “Look at you! You look human again!” she cried.  
“My God, you do!” Illyria said, poking and prodding his face. Rose, Varitie and Adrian all laughed as she made her examination of him.  
“My sister's, it's so good to have you back with me.” He had already heard of Bianca's death and he didn't wish to bring it up again. He turned to the King, “Majesty, forgive me. I was not completely truthful with you before. I did come for the reasons I told you, but my priority was Rose. I may have saved her life a long time ago, but she saved mine more times over than I could ever tell.” He ran a finger across her cheek as he smiled tenderly down at her, his eyes soft and a tad misty.   
“How did you escape the executioner's axe?” Rose questioned as they walked back indoors.   
“I nearly didn't. Someone paid off the guards as they were taking me from the dungeon to the scaffold...he let me go. It was very early morning, still dark, and the man wore a cloak, so I'm not sure who it was that I need to thank, but God bless him whoever he was,” Thaine answered, his voice husky. Rose glanced at Geraurd,  
“Don't look at me! I have no clue how he escaped!” he said, holding up his hands.   
“Phillippe told me they had indeed killed you and I swear it nearly killed my poor Rosé when I had to tell her at breakfast,” King Anton said, a little in awe at the turn of events. “As God's my witness, I wish I'd known of Phillippe's treachery earlier for I would sorely like to wallop him myself. But he is far removed from us now and out of our lives.”  
“It did nearly kill me. It felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest when I saw your cape and mask on the floor of your cell,” Rose squeezed Adrian's arm tightly, “I thought I would never see you again.” Adrian saw the bright red mark on her chest and traced it with a finger,  
“That must have been the moment my own transformation started. It felt much the same way, like my heart was being cut out. I couldn't breathe and all I could think of was that I would die then and there and having never told you just how much I loved you and owed to you....It's a little funny because I had made it to that island in the middle of the river where we first met and I believe I'd crawled to the very spot where you'd come to me then. I'm not sure what happened next, only that I remember seeing the face of a man I'd not seen in years when I looked at my reflection in the water. I have the same mark on my chest as you bear on yours. Somehow I made it back to Blackheathe and...but that's a story for another time.” The king had brought them into a drawing room and bid them all sit.  
“You spoke of an urgent request earlier before your reunion with my niece. What is it?” he asked Adrian.  
“As you well know, my stepfather, King Ludovic-Avenant, has been at war with your kingdom and every other kingdom that surrounds his. While Rose was still with me at the castle, he took her powers in exchange for letting me live. That power is far too dangerous for one man to contain. It is high time that he is put in his place, a burial mound in the refuse field. I must return my kingdom to it's rightful place as it was under my father, an ally to Arturia and it's neighboring principalities. I've come to ask for your aide in doing so by joining hands with you and your niece, so also alining with your other allies. Can I count on your help?” Adrian inquired, squeezing Rose's hand as it rested on his knee.  
“It's the least we can do, Uncle. He once told me how his step-father had treated him. We have to help him now.”  
“My sweet, darling Belle, I only told you the least of the things he has done, because your heart is too pure for any more. Suffice it to say, the man is the very devil himself.”   
“Your Majesty...” Chamberlain Chambliss said, rushing into the drawing room, “There is urgent news from the Blackheathe border that needs your attention! Your man has returned with the news.”  
“His Highness, Prince Thaine needs to hear it as well. Bring in Sir John.” Chambliss bowed and ushered in a haggard looking John Hart, Prince Jeffrey's best friend. Rose' eyes grew wide. Sir John had been with her father the morning of the attack.   
“Sir John?!”  
“Princess?!” Sir John suddenly found himself running to her and hugging her to him, “My God, I thought we'd lost you too. Now here you are safe and sound. It is a great relief to see you well, My Dear.”   
“You have Adrian-er I mean Prince Thaine to thank for that. He saved my life that day and kept me safe til I could return to my Uncle,” she held out her hand to her beloved prince and he kissed it.   
“Prince Thaine? Of Blackheathe? He saved you? That man has-”  
“He has paid his debt and his curse has been lifted. Sir John. Now tell us your news, and be quick about it,” the king interrupted. Sir John eyed Adrian warily, but nodded to the king.   
“Forgive me your Majesty. King Ludovic's Blood Knights are leading the Black army and are invading the towns and villages along the border between the kingdoms, they have even gone so far as to invade our allies kingdoms...” Sir John had to stop and take a breath as he almost collapsed on the sofa next to Giselle.   
“He must be stopped before he is allowed to get any further,” Adrian said in a growling voice that reminded Rose of when she had first met him in his beastly form. “My stepfather's reign of terror has been allowed to go too long unchecked. This ends now. I have enlisted the people of the mountain to aid us when the need arises. King Ludovic cut them all off and they have long waited to have their revenge. They can attack from the flank while we meet the horde head-on. Does he ride with them, or are they under Lord Severus?” Sir John nodded as Rose's arm began to tighten around Adrian's.  
“He does, he leads them himself, something he hasn't done in ages, not since you disappeared, your highness. He killed Severus for some reason we don't know, perhaps because he failed to kill all of the Castlebarre family.” Sir John was beginning to realize that the Prince had indeed changed.   
“Then I will deal with him myself. I must avenge what he has done to my people and my family,” Adrian said decidedly. Rose clung to him,  
“No! No, you can't leave me now that I have you with me again. I couldn't bare it.”  
“Rose...Please...” he said softly caressing her face, “You know that I have to do this. You taught me to want justice and to make right all the terrible things I've done in my past.”  
“Then I will fight beside you. If the king has the powers you told me he did, I should be out there with you, to help you. I not going to lose you again!” she replied. Adrian placed a soft kiss on her cheek.   
“I wouldn't be able to stop you even if I wanted to, could I?” he said softly. Rose shook her head with a slight smile.  
“My Lady, I must protest!”  
“Save it, Hart. You know even her father couldn't make her stay if she's set her mind to it,” Anton sighed.  
“You do have to admit, she's quite the formidable warrior, she bested Phillippe and I on several occasions in combat class, remember, Uncle John!” Geraurd quipped.   
“Aye, that she did,” he chuckled. “Well then, if it's settled, we'd best start making arrangements. Majesty,” he said rising and bowing to the king, who nodded his assent. Then he turned to Rose and her prince, “It is an honour to know that you fight with us and for us after keeping our princess safe, your Highness. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.” He bowed slightly again and left to begin preparations.  
“Uncle, you must call the priest first. I'm not letting Adrian out of my sight til we leave, so we'd best be married now,” Rose said, her fingers creeping up Adrian's chest. The king almost giggled as Geraurd nudged his sister and whispered,  
“I told you so, I win!” he said. Giselle frowned a smile at him as Illyria and Varitie clapped their hands and giggled. King Anton rose and held out his hands to the couple.   
“Then I will do so with great haste. You have no idea how happy this makes me, Niece. Your mother and father would be very proud of the strong woman you've become in such a short time. Come...you too Giselle, Geraurd. We've a wedding to get under way!” The king saw to the priest and made the arrangements and that evening in a torch-lit garden, surrounded by the family, friends, and the Council, Princess RoséBelle Castlebarre and Prince Adrian Thaine Thornefeld were married, joining their two kingdoms together. Their bliss was cut short, however, for three days later they began to move troops to strategic places in the kingdom to meet with their allies' re-enforcements.   
The kings made their camp at the edge of a great field far to the east of Arturia, the place where they had pushed most of the BlackWyldes men and the Blood Knights. The field was set for battle the next day. Adrian had met early with the Kings and leaders to make plans for the battle, leaving Rose asleep in their tent, wrapped in furs. When the meeting was over, Adrian returned to his tent to find his wife being dressed in her armour.  
“Leave us. I'll help the Queen finish dressing myself,” he smiled at her. Rose shook her head, smirking at him.  
“You're so terribly romantic, My Darling!”  
“Of course I am. Now, let's see about those lacings, shall we,” he moved to her and took the laces in his hands. Just as he was about to continue lacing up the sides of her breast plates, she wobbled. “Darling, are you alright?”  
“I'm just a little tired. Perhaps if I sit down a moment,” she said, sinking down onto one of the tufted benches.  
“Are the lacings too tight? I can loosen them...”  
“I'll be alright in a moment. I think I was just standing with my arms above my head too long,” she assured him, patting his hand as it rested on her knee.   
“Rose, you don't have to fight with us...”  
“I do and I will. And nothing you can say will make me stay here and be waited on hand and foot. Whatever happened to 'always by your side'?” she said, raising an eyebrow at him.  
“Nothing, I am always by your side, am I not?” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her closer to him.  
“Aye, sometimes you are attached to it,” she said, kissing him sweetly.  
“And you wouldn't have it any other way!” Adrian finished for her, returning her kiss with one of his own, a little deeper and longer than hers had been. They couldn't help themselves as they deepened the kiss further, whimpering and moaning with ecstasy.  
“Majesties. The troops are ready for deployment...oh forgive me...” Sir John said, entering the tent, then turning his back to give them their privacy.   
“It's alright, Adrian was just finishing my lacings. Hand me my sword belt there, will you, Sir John?” she said, as they rose. Adrian questioned her with his eyes and she nodded a short reply. There was no stopping her once she'd made up her mind. Once she was laced, and her belt put in place, they walked out to the line of men awaiting the battle. Sir John helped Rose mount her horse as Adrian took to his, standing in the stirrups.   
“Fight hard, Men. Let them know we won't give up, but remember, King Ludovic is mine! To an end to tyranny and evil! To Victory!” he cried, leading his contingent of men out into the fray. Geraurd practically attached himself to Adrian's hip, knowing that Rose was already attatched to his other hip as he tried to keep them both protected as best he could. But then Adrian spied King Ludovic who had himself led his final wave of men into the battle. His cold eyes locked with Adrian's and they fought their way to meet. Rose was easily holding her own, the energy of battle having diminished her pain somewhat until she noticed Adrian heading towards Ludovic. Ludovic was surprised to see a human looking Adrian this time around. The last time he'd seen him, Adrian was a beast, a monster of a man, animal-like, defeated, lying on his back, a woman pleading for his life. Now he stood with all the splendor of the King he was born to be and it made Ludovic's blood boil. His hatred for Adrian blinding him to Rose's presence. They locked themselves into a fierce battle, giving each other blow for blow that had built up in them over the years. Ludovic's acidic hate and Adrian's honest justice trying to win over the other. Pure lust to pummel Adrian into a limp, bloody pile of meat and bones had him forgetting about using his powers. Adrian heard a woman's cry behind him and he turned momentarily to see Rose slashed with a black knight's sword as Geraurd ran the knight through. Ludovic used that moment to strike. His sword connected with Adrian's middle, knocking him to the ground with great force, leaving a deep wound. In his brief moment of victory, Ludovic lost his vigilance as he towered over Adrian, gloating. Rose, despite her injury, ran to Adrian side and threw her body over him just as she had done the day Ludovic took her powers.   
“Do you really think you can save him this time? You have nothing to trade anymore so you will die with him!”  
“You've caused enough trouble, Ludovic. You're finished!” Rose said, summoning what little strength she had left and placing an open palm on Ludovic's chest as he leaned in for the kill. Just as she did, Geraurd struck Ludovic from behind with the sword Adrian had dropped. In a great cloud of purple smoke, Ludovic seemed to disintegrate into nothingness, a burst of energy spreading out from where he stood. Rose collapsed in Adrian's arms.   
“Rose, Darling, you did it. You saved us all!” he said, gathering her up, careful of her wound and paying little heed to his own.   
“I couldn't have done it without Geraurd,” she coughed.   
“Call for the doctor, quickly!” Geraurd nodded and went back through the ranks of men taking the weapons of the black army who, following the death of their leader, had either surrendered or fled as fast as they could. Adrian knew something was wrong, but he dared not think what it might be. “Rose, Love. Hang on, it's over now...”  
“Adrian...I'm dying...I have been for a long time now...”  
“No! I won't let you go. Not now that we've set things right. You can't leave me now, we have our whole lives ahead of us!”   
“Shhh...everything will be fine. I love you, and that is all that matters. Love never dies, My Love, it lasts for all eternity....Look at me, Darling,” he lifted red-rimmed blue eyes to hers “...Without my powers I'm helpless. The pain I felt then told me my death would be soon, and it was only increased when I thought I'd lost you...Adrian, my love. I knew this day would come, I just tried not to think about it. I would change nothing that has happened to us, not for a moment...” she coughed again and he held her closer.  
“Please, don't go......I can't-I can't live without you...” he cried.  
“ I will be gone soon. But you will be here. You must do your duty, and rebuild your kingdom. Remember how much I believe in you, and you will be able to live on in my name. I will be waiting for you, My Love. Our parting won't be long, it will seem but a little while. This is my destiny and it is settled...I love you, my darling husband...” her hand that had caressed his cheek fell to her chest and she was gone.   
“No...Rose, please don't go...I need you...I will forever carry your heart in mine, My Love. My Precious Rose...” his voice cracked and all he could do was sob as he held her lifeless body to his chest. Geraurd, King Anton, and the doctor came running as he let out a piteous wail, rocking her body back and forth in his arms.  
“We're too late...” Geraurd breathed, hanging his head. Anton was speechless as he held a hand to his mouth and shook his head. They watched as Adrian carefully held Rose's body, smoothing her hair back from her face, tears falling across her cheek, forehead, and lips. He caressed her cheek and ran his thumb across her lips. Lips that he'd only be able to kiss once more. He nearly choked as he leaned down to kiss her with all the love he had for her. The whole army had stopped and stood riveted, silently removing their helmets. Their Queen was dead and they would all mourn her loss. As Adrian held her, his lips pressed to hers, a glow began to shine from the scar over her heart, it cut through her armour and began to grow, flooding the battlefield with it's intense light. Adrian expected her to disappear from his arms and he held tighter to her cold body as it began to warm. Her injuries were disappearing and he thought he felt something within them both stir. As the light began to fade she took a deep breath and opened her eyes.  
“Adrian?!” she breathed.  
“Rose, My Love!” Adrian said, hugging her to him as her arms went around his neck. “I thought I'd lost you forever this time, but you've come back to me!”  
“You'll never lose me, My Love. I'm always by your side...”  
“...and in my heart,” he finished, kissing her tenderly. They rose together and a cheer went up from all the men surrounding them as they turned to go back to camp and accept the surrender of the Black Army.


	10. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they lived...

Over the next several days, celebrations were had by all the surrounding lands. The story was told of Rose's death or her subsequent re-awakening by all the citizens around and they rejoiced with the King and Queen as kingdoms were restored to their previous splendor. In the next year there were two weddings. Geraurd married Varitie in a double ceremony along with Giselle and a former captain that had remained loyal to Adrian even after his exile. Anton remained at the royal palace in Arturia as an adviser under the new King and Queen, while Varitie and Geraurd moved to BlackHeathe and began work on restoring the rundown city and it's surrounding lands. They would have much work ahead of them, but they were up to the challenge. Adrian and Rose however, chose to rule from the place they had come to call their own home. When Adrian's transformation had occurred the castle's darkness had withered away to reveal it's once beautiful exterior and their clockwork servants had gone about cleaning and mending all of it's brokenness in the hopes that their master would return to live there with his beautiful bride. Even the once treacherous and dark woods began to take on a new light and soon families had begun to return to live in the surrounding areas. Illyria was given Castlebarre Manor as her own home since it wasn't too far from the now renamed RosenThorne Castle. Rose had said asked her to stay with them in the hopes that she might help with any future children, but she refused. She wanted to give the newlyweds their own life and their own time, unlike all the time Adrian had been forced to care for her and his sisters. Adrian had almost been sad to see her go, but he was far too excited about a new life with Rose and their new united kingdom to be sad for too long.   
Several months later, Rose was lounging in her Garden House with Adrian as the sun began to set. They were laid out on the doubled sided chaise, both dressed in thin summer clothes, barefoot, and hair loose and flowing. It was a fashion they often adopted when they were alone.   
“You know I'm thinking of redoing some of the rooms in our wing. What do you think?” she asked her husband as she ran her fingertips along his bare calf. He hummed a sigh,  
“Anything you want, Precious. You're thinking I might finally clean out my workshop?” he mused as ran a finger up and bottom of her foot. She let out a squeal and pulled her feet back under her dress,  
“You know I can't stand it when you do that...But you know that actually might be a good idea. It could use a good cleaning and Lord knows how particular you are about your tools and things being just so,” she smirked at him. He rose and moved to sit beside her, tugging on a curl,  
“I'm particular? Who was it that decided that the ballroom had to be re-arranged to accommodate it as the new throne room?” he said raising an eyebrow.  
“That comes with the territory. I suppose now you'll want to stop being King and Queen so that we can run around in our underthings through the gardens and go swimming naked in the ponds all day long?!”  
“It's an idea, to be sure!” he smirked back at her. She ignored him,  
“No, I'm thinking of rearranging some of the other bedrooms up there, for guests, perhaps...Though my old bedroom I think I'll leave just as it is. It will make a nice nursery. That is if the baby is a girl...” she said. She was silent a moment, letting her words sink in. “You know, it could be a boy, then I would have to change the colour scheme...”  
“Heaven forbid...” Adrian started, then trailed off as his eyes grew wide. “Baby? Does this mean-? Rose, are you...? Are we...?” he croaked. She grinned back at him and nodded,  
“You're going to be a father, Adrian...” she said, laughing.  
“A BABY!” he cried, jumping up. “We're going to have a child...” he sat back down with a thud, the realization weighing on him. “How will I know what to do...?!” His ran a hand through his hair.  
“You'll learn, My Love. We both will. We still have a few months before he or she is born. Though I do hope our baby arrives before Varitie's child. I want you to be the first of our family to become a father, you deserve it so very much,” Adrian looked over his shoulder to his wife who was smiling adoringly at him. He turned over and crawled up beside her, his hands finding the roundness of her stomach. She was already showing and he'd missed it.   
“How long have you known?”he asked as he rested his cheek on her warm round stomach, his hands feeling how large she really was.  
“Four, almost five months now, but I waited to tell you because I wanted the moment to be perfect, when we had some time to breath for ourselves. We've scarcely gone to bed at the same time, let alone woken up, or been able to see each other much in the past few months with all the changes going on. I knew you'd want time to let the news sink in properly before anyone else knew. I mean Varitie and Geraurd's announcement hardly got a second nod from you at the council meeting last month, so I knew I needed to wait.”  
“I'm glad you did, Darling. I never would have been able to focus on anything else had you told me the moment you knew. And how far along is Varitie?”  
“Two months, why?”  
“Because you were right when you said you wanted us to have the first child. As the eldest child I feel it's my duty,” Adrian replied, kissing Rose's baby bump. Rose giggled at him.   
“Competitive much, My Love?”  
“Always. Especially when it comes to anything to do with you!” he replied, grinning. “A baby, Rose. Can you believe it?!...You are going to be a wonderful and absolutely beautiful mother, My Heart,” he breathed, his nose running along her stomach.  
“Oh stop that, you're embarrassing me, and tickling me!” she giggled. He dropped more kisses across her belly as he brought himself closer to her. When their eyes were finally level with one another's, he kissed her deeply.   
“I love you so much, and you make me so very happy, My Beloved,” he whispered as he cradled her in his arms. She smiled and sighed happily as she rested her cheek against his neck.   
“And you will be a wonderful father, Majesty. Just as you are a wonderful husband.”   
Three and a half months later, a beautiful baby girl was born to Rose and Adrian and she was named Margueritte Melodie Rose in honour of both grandmothers. It wasn't many years later until they had five children running around the palace and never once would King nor Queen complain or let themselves be kept from loving and adoring their children. They told their children their story and their children told it to theirs as the love and magic was passed down for many generations to follow, all of whom...

...lived happily ever after!  
The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Happily Ever After!

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you all enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Don't forget to bookmark and comment!
> 
> If there's an interest, I might just post images to go with the story, as references for gowns, characters, and places.


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